Red Like Roses? Gross!
by Mallobaude
Summary: As a vampire, Ruby Rose depended on the blood of others to sustain herself. There was only one problem. She hated blood. There very sight of it made her queasy. Some vampire she was! But Ruby needed to eat to survive. So when it came time to feed, and her prey lay sleeping in his bed, she hesitated. Until the young blond boy finally woke up, and wondered just what was going on.
1. Chapter 1

**Cover art by infinitedynamics.**

* * *

He knew he wasn't alone the moment his eyes opened.

Jaune Arc laid in bed, consciousness slowly returning to him as he woke up in the morning. It was a morning like no other.

At first he thought it may have still been a dream, but as seconds passed and weariness left his body there was no mistaking it. He was not alone in his bed. Only unlike previous times, it was not a younger sister who had decided to crawl into bed with him after having a bad dream. No, the girl who hovered above him looked nothing like any of his siblings.

She was young, perhaps even younger than him. A pair of silver eyes stood out against pale flesh, while short red-black hair hung down loosely as she knelt over him. Her knees rested on either side of his legs, while her hands pressed down on the mattress up at his torso. Her face was only a couple feet away from his own. There was only one natural reaction to have once he had fully woken up and grasped the situation he was in.

"Ahh!" he screamed, shoving himself back to sit up against the wall behind him.

"Gyah!" the girl screamed in turn, recoiling with such force that she fell backwards off the front of his bed.

Jaune was wide awake now, his eyes locked on to where the mystery girl had fallen. He had never seen her before, and had no idea who she was. A friend of one of his sister's maybe? No one had mentioned a sleepover before, but with it being the weekend it wasn't out of the question. Had she merely gotten lost going to the bathroom? If so that still didn't explain what she had been doing watching him sleep.

The girl stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of her black corset and skirt. He had never seen clothes like those before. Even with seven sisters this was completely new and unfamiliar. Seriously, who wore a hooded red cape anyway? It was like she was dressed for Halloween or something, but that was still months away.

Still, that was far from the most important question right now, and Jaune had every intention of getting answers. After all, he was seventeen! He was a man! He wouldn't be afraid of some girl who had snuck into his room. If he wanted to be a huntsman, he had to man up and get answers!

Sitting upright now and filled with confidence, he finally spoke. "So who are you? And what are you doing in my room?"

The girl looked up at him, her hands ceasing their work on her clothes. She stood frozen for a moment before a dark smile crept on her lips. "Who am I?" she echoed. "You dare ask such an insulting question of me?"

Jaune blinked. "Um... yeah. You're in my room. Are you looking for one of my sisters?"

She shook her head. "Oh no, your sisters do not concern me. I have found exactly what I'm looking for right here. The perfect meal to satisfy my hunger."

This was getting really weird really fast. Being a teenage boy with certain urges, it was only natural that he had thought certain things about some of his sister's friends. But the idea of something actually happening with one of them... he never imagined it actually coming true. He was woefully unprepared for such an encounter.

"Look, I don't even know your name. How do you even... have those kinds of feelings for me if we've never met before?"

Silver eyes widened, and the girl shook her head wildly. "What? No! I don't like you! I'm a vampire!"

He blinked again. Had he heard her right? "Vampire?"

The girl grabbed her red cloak and pulled it in front of her body, covering up the bottom portion of her face in the process. "Darker than black! Redder than the blood of a thousand paper cuts! I am she who stalks the night in search of prey!" She threw the cloak back to reveal herself fully once more. "Cower before me, mortal! For I... am Ruby Bloodrose!"

Mortal? _Bloodrose? _The display might have been intimidating if not for the fact that she looked like a cosplayer on her way to attend a convention. Or the fact that she was a teenage girl. Jaune simply stared at her in disbelief. This girl, this... Ruby. She was really getting into her act, wasn't she?

"Bloodrose?" he asked. "Is that your real last name?"

An embarrassed frown crept onto her face. "Well... no. It's actually just Rose. But Bloodrose just sounds so much cooler!"

Sure it did. If you were a kid. "Right... so if you want to get back to one of my sister's rooms, just go through that door and take a left."

Tiny hands squeezed into fists. "For the last time, I'm not here for your sisters! I'm here to drink your blood!"

A small laugh slipped through Jaune's lips. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you-"

He never got a chance to finish before he felt a hand grasp his throat. She had moved fast. Too fast to even perceive. One moment she was standing at the foot of his bed, the next she was right next to him.

She was strong too. Too strong to be believed. The hand around his neck was choking the life out of him. He couldn't breathe. And try as he might to pry the single hand off with both of his, it would not budge.

"Do not take me lightly," she snarled softly. A pair of sharp, pointed teeth shone in the dim light filtering through the window. They looked too genuine to be props. They looked like real teeth. Combined with her amazing speed and strength...

"Vampire..." he gasped.

Ruby finally released her grip on him, and took a step back with a smile on her face. "Now you understand, mortal. You know that I am not one to be trifled with. So prepare yourself to be eaten. Do not struggle, for it will only make your demise all the more painful!"

Jaune closed his eyes, too frightened to even scream. This may have been the end of him, but that didn't mean it would have to be the end of his family. He would not alert them to his plight. He would not risk them being eaten too. If Ruby had told him that his sisters did not interest her, then he would not drag them into this mess. His only regret in life was that he would never get a chance to go off and become a huntsman. He had gotten his acceptance letter from Beacon a few weeks ago, and it would have only been a couple of days before he would get to go there to begin his new life and career.

But now it was all over. Over before it even began. Jaune sat there, tensely waiting to feel Ruby's sharp teeth bite down on his neck and take his blood.

...any moment now.

Seconds passed by and nothing. One blue eye opened to see what was going on, and to his surprise, Ruby remained standing by the side of his bed. The anticipation was killing him.

"So... are you going to drink my blood or what?"

"Shut up!" she snapped. "Don't pressure me! I'm not good under pressure!"

Jaune held his hands up defensively. "Okay, I'm sorry."

"It's not like I was freaking out about how I was gonna drink your blood or anything!" she stated very specifically. "It's not like I spent all night trying to work up the nerve to do it, and now that it's morning I can't go outside!"

The detailed explanation of what she had _not_ done gave Jaune pause. "...were you?"

Ruby shuffled nervously, her gaze turning to the floor. "Yeah maybe."

He didn't know whether or not to laugh, for doing so might invite more of her wrath. In this tense moment, only one thing came to mind. "Would you call it... blood pressure?"

To his surprise, Ruby snorted a small laugh. She looked back up at him with a genuine smile on her face. "Yang would like you."

He had no idea who that was, but the fact that he had made her laugh could only be a good thing. Maybe she wouldn't kill him now! After all, how could you kill something that you liked?

"So if you don't mind me asking, why were you freaking out?"

"Um... well..."

"Is it because you realized I'm such a nice person and you couldn't bear the thought of killing me?" he asked hopefully.

She snorted dismissively. "Nah."

"Oh. Um... did you think I was cute? Too cute to kill?"

"What?" she gasped. "Ew, no!"

Ew? That was a little too harsh. She didn't need to go that far. Especially because she was about to kill him. Talk about adding insult to injury. Or in this case, insult to death.

"Then why?"

Her face was contorted with adorable anger, and her tiny body was literally shaking. "It's because the sight of blood makes me squeamish, okay!"

Jaune stared at her in disbelief. Had he just heard her correctly? She was a vampire, and the sight of blood made her squeamish?

"You're joking," he deadpanned.

A soft sigh slipped through her lips. "I wish I was."

"So let me get this straight."

"Go."

"You're a vampire."

She nodded. "Yep."

"A creature who drinks blood."

Fangs flashed for him again. "Can confirm."

"Sunlight burns you."

She winced, sucking in lightly through clenched teeth. "Very painful."

"A mistress of the night."

Her brow furrowed. "That sounds dirty."

Jaune poked his chest with a thumb. "And you want to eat me."

Ruby shrugged. "In theory."

"So tell me. If you're not going to hurt me because the sight of my blood will make you pass out, why shouldn't I just toss you outside into that nice, sizzling sunlight?"

She stared at him for long moments merely blinking. Her mouth made multiple attempts to speak as it moved, but it was clear that Ruby was speechless. "Um... because that'd be really mean?"

Jaune shook his head incredulously. "So would drinking my blood!"

"But I need it to live!" she argued.

"Ever think nature might not want you to live if you're a vampire who can't even feed herself?"

Ruby reacted as if she had been shot. A hand rose to cover her metaphorically wounded heart. "Okay! Now that really _is_ just mean!"

"I'm just saying," he shrugged.

"Well say it less!"

In this moment Ruby was not the terrifying vampire she had made herself out to be. She was merely a pouty and adorable teenage girl who he was bantering with. She could kill him in an instant if she so desired, but there was something about her that made it seem like she was incapable of such an act. Like her earlier actions really were just an _act_.

"So what now?" he asked.

Ruby moved to sit on his bed a few feet away from him. She sighed again, shaking her head softly before her face fell into her palms. "I don't know," she said, defeat clear in her voice. She pointed over to the window. "I can't leave though. Not while the sun is still up."

"Kind of your fault for being a creep and watching me sleep all night, isn't it?"

Her head whirled around to reveal silver eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Okay, look here... um... hey I never did get your name."

She was right on that. Jaune supposed that a hunter didn't need to know the name of its prey. "Right. It's Jaune."

Ruby nodded forcefully. "Look here, _Jaune_," she said, emphasizing his name. "Right now you're not helping the situation. Don't you think I feel bad enough as it is?"

That was true. Bloodsucking vampire or not, it was clear that Ruby still did have feelings. Feelings which he was very insensitive to. "You're right," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

She harrumphed, folding her arms across her chest and looked away from him.

"We still have to figure out what we're going to do with you until the sun sets again."

Ruby glanced back over to him. Fangs bit down lightly into her lower lip momentarily. "Got any video games?"

He did. He had plenty of them. Jaune had spent a lifetime collecting and playing them. This would definitely be a first. A girl who wasn't his sister was in his room and wanted to play video games with him. If she hadn't been a vampire, this would be the coolest thing ever!

Jaune stood up and went over to where his TV and console sat, along with a large row of games on the shelf next to it. Just as he was about to browse through them, he stopped and looked back. "You know... I'm still not seeing a reason why I shouldn't just toss you outside. Right now you're still a threat to me and my family."

She smiled sweetly at him, standing up and taking a purposeful step toward him. "You know I don't have to draw blood to snap your neck, right?"

He swallowed hard. "...fair point," he admitted. "B-but then you won't have anyone to get blood for you. Like, willingly I mean. So you don't have to do all the dirty work."

"...fair point."

"So..."

"So..." she echoed.

They had reached an impasse. She couldn't kill him or else she'd go hungry, while he couldn't try to get rid of her or else she would kill him. It was a no-win situation.

"Video games it is then?" he asked.

She nodded excitedly. "So whatcha got?"

He had plenty. Classics from older consoles going back to his earlier childhood. Modern staples of gaming. Mostly things involving fighting or war. As a young boy growing up in a family full of heroes, it was only natural that he would lean toward games full of violence and heroics.

Primal Combat was a game that everyone should experience at least once in their life. He liked Street Warrior less, but it was still a solid choice. Shooters like Silvereye may have been outdated by modern graphics, but Jaune would still argue that it was the best one ever made.

"I'm surprised a vampire plays video games at all," he mentioned casually as he continued to browse.

Ruby scoffed. "I'm a vampire, not a savage."

"Says the girl who drinks blood," he sniped.

"Says the guy who eats animal flesh!" she shot back.

He turned around to see her once more pouting face. "I never thought I'd meet a vegetarian vampire." His head tilted slightly. "Or any vampire period, really."

"I'm not a vegetarian!" she said defensively. "But if you're gonna call me out for drinking blood then I'll call you out for eating animal skin."

"I guess..."

"Good. Now less talking an more video gaming. Preferably something with blood."

Jaune smiled as his hand drifted back toward the left side of his collection. "Of course it would be blood with you."

"It has nothing to do with me being a vampire! All the good games just have blood in them!"

"Fair enough."

In the end Jaune chose Primal Combat. A multiplayer fighting game with plenty of blood and gore. Back in the day it had upset parents so much that later editions had blood removed, or at least locked away by cheat codes. However, Jaune had the version full of all the good stuff. Finishing moves involving tearing people's spines out and setting them on fire. If Ruby liked video games as much as she made it seem, she would appreciate a classic like this.

"Primal Combat sound good?" he asked, holding up the cartridge to her.

Silver eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh yes!" she squealed with excitement. "It's been so long since I've played that one!"

Jaune grabbed the two wired controllers from the shelf underneath the TV and handed one to Ruby. After popping the game in he sat down next to Ruby on the bed and prepared to annihilate the vampire the only way he could. In the pixilated world.

* * *

This wasn't fair! The controller must have been broken or something! It was such an old game system that she wouldn't have been surprised if it actually was.

After the game had announced that Jaune had won yet again, Ruby firmly planted the controller onto the mattress next to her. Maybe it was time for a new game. One that Jaune wasn't kicking her butt at. He had plenty to choose from, so there would undoubtedly be something in there that she would be better at than him.

A glance outside showed that the sun was still out. Hours of gaming had helped to pass the time, but as far as Ruby was concerned night couldn't get here soon enough. Then she would be gone, never to see Jaune again.

He set his controller to the side as well before standing up from the bed and stretching his legs. "How does a little break sound?"

"Sounds good," she agreed. It would give her time to peruse his game collection to find something that she had grown up on. Then the tables would be turned. "I'll find the next game."

"Okay. While you do that I'm going to go get something to eat. I'm star...ving..."

The words died in Jaune's mouth as Ruby turned her head to slowly regard him. Her silver-eyed glare held no trace of amusement for his poor choice of words.

He winced, nodding lightly a couple of times to acknowledge his mistake. "Touchy subject?"

Ruby hummed. "That's putting it lightly."

"I'd offer you something to eat, but... you know. If it were that simple we wouldn't be here right now."

"Yeah..."

He was right about that. The simple fact that she hadn't been able to chomp down on his exposed neck the previous night was the entire cause of her plight. Then again, he probably wasn't complaining. After all, he still possessed all of his blood.

"I've got an honest question," he said. "How have you even lived this long if you hate seeing blood?"

"My sister usually shares with me."

"Her blood?"

Ruby shrugged. "Well, someone's blood."

"Wonderful..."

"Yeah, Yang's pretty great," she confirmed. Ruby knew that Jaune was being sarcastic, but it didn't change the fact that Yang was indeed a caring and wonderful older sister.

"Okay, well that just brings me to my next question."

He certainly was full of them, but it wasn't like they had much else to do but play a game of twenty questions. One way or another they would be playing some game to pass the time.

"Go for it."

"If your sister usually helps you then why are you out here doing it on your own?" He pointed to himself. "And why me?"

Ruby glanced down at the hands folded on her lap. "Yang said I needed to learn to do it on my own," she explained. "And she wouldn't always be there to help me whenever I was hungry."

It really was embarrassing, because what Jaune said was right. She was a vampire who could not feed herself. If not for her older sister she might already have died of starvation. Or at least she would have fed so infrequently that she would be weak and vulnerable to anyone who may have wanted to harm her.

Jaune shrugged, looking to the window as he spoke. "I mean, that's good, right?" he asked. "Typical older sibling behavior. Trying to get you to do things on your own so you'll be better off."

"Yeah, I know," Ruby grumbled. "But still, look where it's gotten me."

He shrugged again. "Are you at least kind of having fun?"

Ruby's head shot up to look at him. The tone in his voice had sounded a little bit sad. "What?"

"I know it's not perfect, but I hope you're at least having a little bit of fun with the gaming. I'd be a pretty bad host if I couldn't even entertain you with my selection of games."

She shot up, as if standing would give what she was about to say more authority. "No no, it's not you. Not at all. The games are awesome! I haven't played this many retro game since... well, since they weren't considered retro yet! I'm just... I don't know. I'm hungry, that's all. It's been a long time since I've drank any blood..."

The question Ruby hadn't answered before was why she had chosen Jaune. The answer was out of desperation. She had gone a long time trying to put off finding someone to drink from. His home, his room, he had just been the first one she had come across when she finally decided to attempt drinking blood straight from the source.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. The words seemed genuine too.

"Yeah. Me too."

"I'll, um, I'll be right back, okay?" he told her. "Just gotta run to the kitchen for a few minutes."

She nodded. At least one of them should be able to eat. There was no reason to deny him that simple pleasure just because she couldn't.

Jaune left his room and closed the door behind him, leaving Ruby alone. She looked around, seeing the inside in the daylight for the first time in detail.

So this was a boy's room. All in all it wasn't anything spectacular. It was cleaner than she would have expected. No dirty laundry scattered all over the floor as movies and TV liked to portray. Aside from the video games, a few action figures stood on wall-mounted shelves. It was pretty obvious that Jaune was kind of a dork. That was fine. She was one too.

A large poster from the Spruce Willis movie 'Kill Hard' hung prominently on one of the walls. At least he had good taste.

Good taste...

Speaking of tasting good, Ruby was happy that she hadn't killed Jaune. He was pretty cool. Pretty fun too. It seemed like they had a lot in common, and he was a good enough gamer to challenge her. Most importantly, despite the circumstances of their meeting he was treating her fairly normally. Friendly, even.

Glancing around, Ruby wondered if since he was a boy if he had any dirty magazines hidden somewhere. She then wondered if people even _used_ dirty magazines anymore with the CCTNet being available. She knew he was into the classics, but that kind of classic media seemed like a stretch.

Any snooping around she might have done was ended before it could even begin, as the door opened once more to reveal the familiar blond boy. He held a bag of cookies in one hand, and a glass of what looked to be strawberry milk in the other.

He set the bag down on the bed before holding the glass out to her. "For you."

Ruby's eyebrows scrunched slightly as she reached out to take it. "What is it?"

"Uh... well... let's just say I had a little knife accident in the kitchen when I was getting food," he said. "So... I figured that the blood might as well not go to waste, right?"

Ruby looked down at the glass, and moved it closer to her nose to give it a sniff. Sure enough, there was a familiar metallic scent to it. Silver eyed shifted to once more regard Jaune. "Accident you say?" she asked while looking at the bag of cookies. "From _that_?"

Jaune shrugged lightly. "Look, it wouldn't have been fair for me to just eat in front of you. So..." He held up his hand, presenting a band-aid on his left index finger for her to see. "Yeah..."

The vampire leapt to her feet and closed the short distance over to him. Grabbing hold of his hand, she saw that there was an adorable little cartoon bunny on the bandage. A wide, happy grin was plastered on her lips as her eyes moved from it to his face. "Jaune... you didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, well, what's done is done. So drink up. I hope it tastes good. I figured that just pure blood in a glass might make you queasy, so I mixed it with milk. Is that okay?"

"Yes!" she said excitedly before bringing the glass up to her lips. There wasn't much there, but it was better than nothing. After more than a day of not having any blood, the small amount in the glass was one of the sweetest things she had ever tasted.

Ruby gulped it down in a matter of seconds, and an impressive burp followed shortly afterward. She looked away embarrassedly after it sounded, and a peek at Jaune's face told her that he didn't seem to mind. In fact, quite the opposite.

"You really are a vampire, aren't you?"

She wondered why he asked that question now. Like all she had said before was a lie, and only now after seeing her drink his blood did he believe her. Well, she could show him even more proof if he needed it!

"Yep, see?" She grabbed his hand and placed it against her chest where her heart was. "No pulse. Pretty cool, isn't it?"

The wide-eyed expression on his face told her that he was absolutely blown away by the fact that she had no heartbeat in her chest.

"Y-yeah," he said nervously. It was an adorable reaction. "Pulse..."

"Yep! No pulse, drinks blood. Really good blood, by the way."

"Glad you liked it," he said as he sat down next to her and opened the cookies. He reached in and grabbed one before biting down on it. If only eating was that simple for her.

"Thank you," she said softly. Genuinely. "Now that I have some food in me I'm gonna kick your butt in whatever we play next!"

"Oh really?" he laughed. "Is that what it is?"

"Mmhmm! You just got lucky! The only reason I'm doing as bad as I am is because I'm starving!"

He grabbed hold of his controller. "Great, is this gonna be one of those 'you haven't fought me at my full power' speeches?"

"Don't compare me to Mistrali cartoons!" Ruby squawked. "I'm serious! You try being at your best when you're hungry!"

Jaune had an annoying smirk on his face as he nodded to her. "Honestly I thought you were cosplaying as some Mistrali cartoon character with that outfit..."

Ruby gasped, looking down at her totally awesome combat skirt and corset. What was wrong with her outfit? It was cool! As was her totally stylish red hooded cloak which would help shield her from the sunlight if need be! "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing," he managed to say while holding back a laugh. "Nothing at all. Are they, uh, vampire clothes?"

"They're normal clothes! I just like them, okay?"

"Okay, okay!" he insisted. His hands were raised again in his defense. "I'm sorry!"

She growled softly, unconvinced that his apology was genuine. The big meanie. Dummy. How dare he talk bad about her clothes when he wore a hoodie and blue jeans. Could you get any more boring and generic? Nope! Jaune had no sense of fashion at all!

However, clothes soon took a backseat on her list of concerns. Her throat wasn't the only thing that growled.

Maybe it was the taste of blood that did it, but Ruby's hunger had fully woke now. Her stomach growled as ferociously as a Beowolf, and there was still no food in sight. Well, no food easily available to her considering her predicament...

The redhead clutched her sides, a tiny whimper slipping through her lips as she did. The action and the sound caused Jaune to regard her with concern. "Still hungry?"

She nodded pathetically. "Yes. I'm afraid that giving me a taste of your blood may have only made things worse..."

Jaune took a look outside before reaching over to his scroll and checking the time. "Still have a few hours until sunset..."

Ruby nodded again. It would be an agonizing few hours.

The pair sat in silence for long seconds, the earlier levity of their conversations gone in an instant. Pain and hunger were never easy to make light of. Especially when it was amongst friends.

Friends. When did that even happen?

"Ruby," Jaune said softly. Deliberately.

She glanced up at him to see hard blue eyes staring at her. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to kill me?"

Silver eyes widened. "W-what? No! Of course not!"

It wasn't just idle talk either. She truly did consider the boy a friend now. Spending the majority of the day playing video games and talking random nonsense with Jaune had done the trick. Had she not been a vampire, she could have seen the two of them getting along famously in any other environment. They just clicked. Even after everything from the morning, all the threats and insults, it had all been brushed under the rug. All was forgotten. Only a pair of teenagers remained.

He nodded in understanding. "Then... you should drink from me. You're going to have to do it from someone, right?" She nodded silently to him, prompting him to continue. "Then you should do it from someone you know you won't kill."

Had she had a heartbeat, it would have been pounding in her chest. What he was suggesting was so bizarre she could hardly believe it. He, a human, was willingly asking her to take his blood. Not out of some weird fetish or desire to become a vampire himself, but because he cared for her. He _cared_ for her. Enough to slice his own finger to try and alleviate her pain. Enough to willingly ask her to drink from him.

"Jaune, if it were that easy I wouldn't-"

She was cut short when Jaune took her hand and pressed it against his neck. His soft, warm, _pulsating_ neck. Ruby's tongue ran across her lips without even thinking about it as she felt his rapid heartbeat.

"It's so close, yet so out of reach..." she whispered. "Like freshly made cookies behind the glass at the bakery counter..."

"You said you needed to learn to do it on your own," he said softly, inching closer to her on the bed. "So... why not practice on a friend?"

Friend. He had just said the word aloud himself. It wasn't just in her imagination anymore. They were friends. They really were. She was indeed lucky that her heart did not beat, otherwise it would have burst in her chest that very moment.

Her fingers were shaking as she moved closer to him. To his neck. "Okay..." she said. "B-but I'm kinda new to this, okay?"

"That's fine. We have time until sunset anyway."

That they did. Plenty of time to practice. Practice putting her lips on a boy while sitting on his bed. Yeah, sure, there weren't dirty connotations behind this whole situation at all. Had she not been a vampire the idea of being propositioned to suck on a boy's neck in his room would have made her face turn red as her cloak.

Taking a deep breath Ruby turned and tilted her head to get the best angle at her neck. Her lips pressed down against his soft flesh.

For long seconds she sucked, trying to get the best grip possible she could on it. Soft gasps came from Jaune's mouth, and they were not helping out in making the situation seem any less intimate than it already was. It sounded like he was getting turned on from her biting him! Was she doing something wrong?

"Ruby, you're not even breaking the skin," he said. "You're just giving me a hickey."

Apparently so.

"Oh, um, whoops," she said as she pulled back. "Sorry."

"It's... okay..." he said quietly.

Wait, did he mean it was okay that she had screwed up? Or okay that she had given him a hickey?

Stupid vampire teenage hormones! Why couldn't those have gone away too?

Ruby moved in again, redoubling her efforts at doing it right. Fangs flashed, and this time she succeeded in sinking them into the delicious skin of his neck. A louder, more pained gasp escaped his lips this time, telling her that she had done it correctly.

_Don't focus on the blood,_ her mind told her._ Don't look at the blood. Don't think about the blood. Just close your eyes and do it._

It was delicious. Fresh from the source. Not in a blood pack or mixed in food or drink like Yang might have given her. It was sweet. Satisfying. Nourishing. And in her state of hunger, she lost herself in the taste of it.

"Ruby."

Forget his voice. She was doing it! She was actually drinking from a human! No reason to stop now and screw it up when she was finally succeeding!

"Ruby..."

The voice was fainter this time. Weaker. But she was almost done. Her hunger was nearly sated. Just a little longer...

Ruby tore herself away from his neck with a satisfied exhalation. That had really hit the spot. She finally felt full. She felt strong. Vibrant. Like she could take on the world. Like she could take on Jaune in any game he chose. Look out, blond boy! Ruby Bloodrose was back in the game!

She turned back to him. "Thanks, Jaune. I really owe ya for..."

The boy slumped over onto his bed.

Ruby gasped. She grabbed hold of his body, pulling him back up into a sitting position. "Jaune?" she whispered. "Jaune!" She began to shake his body. "Wake up! Come on! Wake up!" He wasn't waking up. "Oh no. Oh no no no no no..."

Her fingers moved to his wrist. He still had a pulse. That was good. Maybe she had just gone overboard? Had she taken too much blood? Was that why he passed out?

She grabbed hold of his body, hugging him tightly. "Stay with me," she whispered into his golden locks. "You can't die. I still have to beat you..."

Truth be told, if he survived this then video games would be the least of her concerns. Ruby just wanted him to live. He was her friend. And after what he had done for her, he was in fact so much more than that...

* * *

Eyelids fluttered open to reveal a familiar ceiling. A familiar room. But a very unfamiliar pillow.

Jaune stirred and tried to move but found himself unable to do so. A pair of powerful arms were wrapped around his chest, preventing him from doing so. Looking over to the side, he saw the familiar black-clad stomach of the vampire known as Ruby Rose.

"Don't move so much," she whispered to him. "You're probably still weak."

He followed her orders, and rested his head back down in her lap. "What happened?"

"I..." she said hesitantly. "I may have gone a little overboard with the blood. I _may_ have drank so much that you passed out from blood loss..."

Jaune blinked a few times. "Oh."

He felt fingers gently stroke his hair. It felt nice. Her lap felt nice. Maybe it was just because he was in a weakened state. Or maybe her soft body really did just feel nice. Right now he didn't care about the reason why. It was a pleasant and comfortable lap.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"A while." She paused momentarily. "All night."

"All night? Wait, what time is it?" He turned his head to see that the morning sun was peeking through the window.

He then looked up at Ruby, who smiled warmly at him. "I dunno. Morning."

"You stayed with me all night? When you could have left?"

She shrugged. "Yep."

"Oh. Thank you."

"Dummy," she laughed. "After what you did for me, I'm the one who should be thanking you. Staying and looking after you was the least I could do..."

Memories started to filter back into Jaune's mind. The feel of her teeth on his neck. Of getting the blood sucked out of him. Of slowly losing consciousness as her mouth was locked onto his neck. Apparently he had been out for hours, and all the while she had sat by his side. She had laid his head in her lap as she watched over him to make sure he lived.

"You took care of me in my time of need," she continued. "So... I should do the same, right?"

Jaune chuckled softly. "I guess that makes sense."

"Good." She reached over to grab something, not seeing what it was until it was literally in his face. "Here," she said, presenting him with a cookie. The same cookies he had brought for a snack earlier. "Eat. It'll help you recover."

Jaune took a bite of the cookie she held for him. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined lying in the lap of a pretty girl being fed by her.

"Thanks," he said after swallowing.

A light slap hit his shoulder. "Stop thanking me! I nearly killed you!"

Guilt. It was evident in her voice. For all her big talk earlier, Ruby seemed absolutely harmless. Like there was no way she would have ever followed through on any of her threats. The girl had a lot of bark and no bite.

Well, maybe just a little bite.

"But you didn't," he reminded her. "And you took care of me. You're still taking care of me."

"Yeah, well... it's not so bad."

No. It really wasn't. Here in this moment, her lap was the most comfortable place in the world.

"I thought of trying to feed you while you were unconscious," she said, looking away from him as she did. "Because you couldn't feed yourself."

"How would you feed me while I was unconscious?" he asked.

Ruby swallowed hard. "Um... by chewing for you. And... um, feeding you lip to lip..."

Oh.

Jaune had no idea if such a thing could even work. With his luck he probably would have just suffocated on the food while unconscious. He was glad she didn't try it.

"Probably best you didn't," he agreed.

"Yep. And you turned out fine. I'm... I'm really glad you're okay, Jaune."

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Jaune."

His eyes looked up at her. "Hmm?"

Her face came down to his. Her lips pressed against his. Not in a bite. Not in a weird attempt to feed him. Simply in a completely normal kiss.

It lasted only a couple of seconds before she pulled away. Her tongue ran across her lips after they parted. Embarrassment was clear on her face.

"That's how vampires say thank you," she said softly. "Because, uh, we're big on using our mouths for things. We use our mouths for everything."

Jaune blinked several times. "Is that true?"

Ruby's body shifted uncomfortably. "Uh... maybe."

In other words, no. She had just wanted to kiss him. He wasn't about to complain about that.

"You should thank me again later," he said boldly. Her silver eyes regarded him in shock. Shock, but not disgust. Not disagreement. Not protest.

A tiny smile curled onto her mouth. "Y-yeah," she agreed. "Maybe I should."

"But for right now, I'm still a little tired. I think I wanna stay here like this."

He felt her hand stroke his hair again. "Yeah. You should probably spend a little more time recovering. I'll... I'll be here all day, after all."

She sure would. With the dawn of a new day upon them, they had all day to spend together again.

Maybe there would be more activities besides video games today.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Another little idea inspired by the Discord server. My thanks go out to everyone there who helped make this story a reality.

As much as I love Weiss and White Knight, Ruby is such a super fun character to write for. She's probably my favorite to write. In fact, if you liked this, you should totally check out my new fic, **My Abominable Monster Classmates Can't Be This Cute**! Plenty of Ruby in that!

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Chapter 2

The tapping of fingernails on glass stirred Jaune from what had otherwise been a peaceful and satisfying slumber. At first he thought he had been dreaming the sounds, and had snuggled deeper into his blanket cocoon. However the tapping continued, and a few seconds later he forced his eyes open to confront the noise. Probably some stupid insect that had found its way inside his room and was attempting to get out by repeatedly ramming itself against the window.

The boy sat up in bed and turned to look at the window. His heart skipped a beat when it was not a bug, but rather a person who had been making the noise. More specifically, a vampire.

"Ruby?" he spoke softly, more to himself than the girl who stood outside his window.

The girl in question was happily bouncing up and down, a smile playing on her lips as she waited him to get out of bed. It took a few moments for Jaune to collect his thoughts and gather the energy to force himself out of the bed that he had only moments ago been sleeping soundly in. It pained him to do so, but Jaune threw aside the covers and stepped onto the floor before walking over to the waiting girl.

Unlocking the window, which he had made sure to start doing ever since the vampire had first broken into his house, Jaune pushed it up to allow him to speak to her. "Ruby, what-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his question before the redhead leapt headfirst through the window. Hands met the floor, and she rolled forward gracefully before coming up on a single knee. Her head turned from side to side, looking around seemingly to make sure that no one else was present inside the room.

"Good, you're alone," she said, confirming his suspicions.

Jaune frowned, closing the window once more before turning to address her. "Why wouldn't I be alone? I was alone the last time you came over."

"Ah," she said as she stood up, raising a finger in protest. "But that had been on a weekday. I just had to make sure."

He wasn't sure if her logic would have made sense even if he wasn't half asleep. Never mind that, however. Jaune groggily rubbed his eyes, hoping that he would wake up faster and be able to understand Ruby's motives. "Ruby, what's going on?" he asked. "It's like three in the morning."

"Exactly. It's dinner time, so I was wondering-"

"If you could have some of my blood?" he interrupted.

Even in his weary state Jaune saw how Ruby was taken aback by his words. The girl recoiled as if she had been shot. "What? No! Do you think that's all I see you as? Some big muscly blood bank?"

Jaune blinked. "Muscly?"

"You're not just some sort of blood booty call. Blooty call? Whatever it would be called, you're not that! Have a little more confidence in yourself, Jaune!"

"I never said I was-"

"Irregardless!" she said, being the one to interrupt this time. "I'm here to invite you over for dinner. Seeing how I came over to your house the last time."

"Like you are now?"

"_Anyway!_ I wanted to return the favor and invite you over to my place."

"And you couldn't have called first?"

Ruby's gaze fell to the floor, and her feet shuffled nervously under her. "Well, no. You didn't give me your scroll number..."

He blinked. She was right about that. "Oh. Right. Well in my defense it was kind of a busy day. A lot... happened. Awkward stuff..."

The vampire nodded. "Yeah... I did almost kill you." Her head perked up a second later, intense silver eyes staring into his own. "Accidentally!" she quickly followed up. "No court would ever convict me of trying to kill you!"

No court would likely ever try her period. Not only would they not believe that she was a vampire, but even if they did, the last thing they would likely do was put her on trial for drinking someone's blood. They'd probably just put her to death and be done with it.

Still, that wasn't exactly what Jaune was talking about. He wasn't concerned with how she had nearly drained his body of its life fluid. No, the awkwardness he was speaking of was the fact that she had kissed him. According to her that was how vampires said thank you, but he had never heard of any such custom. Then again he had never met a vampire before period, so she could have very well been telling the truth.

Regardless, if that wasn't the awkwardness that Ruby was thinking about, then it was probably best to just agree with her.

"Y-yeah. That."

"So I couldn't just call you up and invite you over," she continued. "Besides, you don't even know where I live. Or how to get there."

"Where _does_ a vampire live anyway?"

"Oh, just over on Patch."

"Patch?" he echoed. "You came all this way from Patch to invite me over for dinner?"

The island off the coast of Vale wasn't too far, but it wasn't exactly close either. For her to come in the middle of the night was strange. It was bizarre. But then again this was a vampire who was afraid of the sight of blood. Strange and bizarre came naturally for Ruby.

"Yup," she agreed. "It's nice and secluded. Away from the big city and all. People won't bother vampires like us."

"Wait, did you just say vampires? As in more than one?"

"Well, yeah. There's my sister Yang, and my mom and dad. Vampires don't just grow on trees you know."

"I figured. So... you want me to come meet your family?"

Ruby looked down to the floor once again. In the moon-lit darkness he couldn't get a good read on her expression. "Well... yeah. You're my friend and all. Don't friends go over to each other's houses?"

They did. Just not at three in the morning. "Yeah, but it's kind of late, don't you think?"

"Late?" she questioned. "The sun's gonna be up in a few hours."

Jaune exhaled. Of course they had different ideas of what late was. And dinner time. They lived on two completely different schedules. She roamed the night where the sun could not harm her, while Jaune lived in the daylight like any normal person.

Ruby, he had to remind himself, was not a normal person. Even if she hadn't been a vampire there was no way he would ever consider her quirky personality normal.

She looked so hopeful, her silver eyes staring into his own with no small trace of yearning. Ruby had travelled all this way to see him. To invite him over. How could he turn her down?

"I guess so." There was just one problem. With it being so late at night, or early in the morning, depending on how you wanted to look at it, there was no way to even get to Patch.

Wait, how had she even gotten here herself? Come to think of it, she must have done the same thing during her last visit, right?

"So... how are we getting there?"

Ruby's face erupted into a smile. "I'm so glad you asked. Come with me!"

She moved back over to the window and opened it as wide as it would go. "Can't we just go through the front door?" he questioned.

"There's no time," she said as she threw her bright red cloak around him, pulling him close to her before wrapping it around both of them.

A poof of smoke exploded before him, and before Jaune knew it he found himself hovering in the air above his floor. He flew through the open window, miraculously not hitting his head as he passed through.

Now outside, Jaune looked up to see just what was lifting him off the ground. Blue eyes widened in horror was he saw a tiny black bat wearing a tiny red cape holding onto his pajamas with its two tiny feet.

"Ruby?" he yelled worriedly. "Ruby? What are you-"

He never got a chance to finish before she took off, her tiny body lifting him into the night's sky with ease and flying off to the west. Girlish screams echoed through the night as the vampire bat carried the human off in the moonlight.

* * *

Home sweet home.

Ruby transformed back into her human form, the body of Jaune landing unceremoniously face-first onto the grass. She winced at the impact. Only after the fact did she remember that the boy had been suspended mid-air, and had no idea that he was about to be released by his living transportation.

She offered a hand to the boy as he collected himself on the ground. Looking up at her, Jaune accepted the gesture and was pulled to his feet with a single pull. He may have been a big and strong looking guy, but his strength was no match for that of a vampire. Even a hungry vampire.

"So this is it," Ruby said proudly, outstretching her arms to show her home off in all its glory. "Pretty cool, huh?"

At one point it had probably just been an ordinary looking log cabin. Out in the middle of nowhere in the forests of Patch, it wouldn't have looked out of place. On the contrary, it would have fit in perfectly as a sort of rustic cabin on the frontier of human civilization.

That had been before her father moved in.

Now a pair of gargoyle statues stood at the door, acting almost as unliving sentinels who guarded the entrance into the home. Tall gothic spires jutted out of the sides of the cabin, obviously added on after the normal portion of the place had already been constructed. Combined with the spooky trees which surrounded the place, and no human would dare step within a hundred yards of the Xiao Long residence. Not unless they wanted to become vamp food, that was.

Or unless they were an invited guest like Jaune was.

A glance over to the boy showed no small trace of apprehension on his face. But he didn't need to worry! She wouldn't let anyone harm him.

"Yeah," he agreed, not sounding as though he believed his own words. "Very cool..."

Off in the distance a wolf howled, and Jaune visibly flinched. The hooting of an owl perched somewhere in the trees added to the atmosphere. With nothing but the full moon illuminating the woods, it was about as romantic as things could get. Ruby briefly wondered if this was how her mom and dad fell in love when he whisked her away to this hidden lair.

"So, yeah," she said, grabbing hold of his hand and dragging him forward. "Come on in and I'll introduce you to everyone. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you."

It felt as though Jaune might have been dragging his heels, but with her superior strength it didn't matter.

"So just to be clear, Ruby," he said as he was being pulled behind her. "When you say, 'have me over for dinner'..."

"Don't worry, Jaune. That isn't some funny code for you being on the menu or anything. It's real, actual food. We even ordered some Simple Wok for you since, you know, you can't exactly live off of blood."

Arriving at the door, Ruby pushed it open and stepped inside. Something moved past her, and in the blink of an eye was upon them.

"Hey, Ruby," the familiar sound of her sister said from behind her. She whirled around to see the taller form of her older sister standing behind Jaune as well. Her arms draped over his shoulders to rest on his chest. "I see you picked up dinner. I'm starving!"

Fangs flashed and blonde hair moved as Yang prepared to sink her teeth into the boy. Ruby moved just as fast, charging headfirst and ramming her head in between the bodies of her sister and friend. "Yang, no!"

Pushing with all her might she was able to separate their bodies, and in doing so placed herself in front of a terrified Jaune. She stood with her back against his chest trying to shield him from the older girl, but her hilariously short height in comparison to him left his neck woefully exposed.

Lilac eyes narrowed in frustration and confusion. "What gives, Ruby?"

"Jaune isn't food!" she shouted. "He's my friend!"

"Friend?" she questioned, looking past her to the boy behind. She looked him up and down. "With a human?" Sure, let's go with that."

Yang approached, closing the short distance between the two. Ruby put her arms out protectively to ensure that Yang didn't try to sneak around in order to get a better angle to his neck. Rather than try that, however, Yang leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I get it. The blood won't taste as good if he dies while he's afraid. Just like when humans slaughter animals."

Ruby heard Jaune swallow behind her. The poor guy must have been terrified right now.

"Yang, he's not an animal!" she protested. "And he's not food either! Stop scaring my friend!"

The blonde pulled back, once more peering down on her sister in confusion. "Wow, so you're serious?"

"Yes I'm serious! I met Jaune a couple nights ago, and I invited him over for dinner."

Yang hummed, and again looked over her shorter sister's shoulder to get a better look at Jaune. Taking a tentative step forward, Ruby didn't stop her as she came up next to him. "Not food, eh?" she said as she pointed to a pair of puncture wounds which were still present on his neck. "And what exactly do you call these, dear sister of mine?"

Uh oh. Busted. She _could_ explain her misadventures in the Arc household, from her failure to drink from him when he had been asleep, to him charitably offering his own blood when she had been suffering from terrible hunger pangs. However, that would leave her open to a gratuitous amount of teasing from her sister. The only option was to lie, and lie she would!

"Um... he... tripped. Yeah. He tripped and fell down some stairs. Onto the doorknob. Yup. That's what happened."

She heard Jaune groan from behind her. What? Had she done something wrong? That was like three explanations all rolled into one! And if there was one thing Ruby knew, it was math! Three was greater than one!

"So the doorknob grew teeth and drank his blood? Tell me, did the doorknob enjoy it?"

"It was deliciouuuh I mean I don't know! I'm not a doorknob!"

"You're some sort of knob all right," Yang smirked.

"What does that mean? That sounds dirty!"

"Don't worry about it," Yang said dismissively before turning to her friend. "So, Jaune was it? Nice to meet you. We were just about to eat, and I'm sure dad would be thrilled if you joined us..."

A smirk and a wink later Yang turned and moved deeper into the house. Her parting words had done nothing to ease Jaune's tension, if his pale face was anything to go by.

His words only confirmed this as he turned to face her. "You're sure she's not gonna eat me?"

"Don't worry, Jaune. I'll protect you."

He frowned. "That wasn't a no. And that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

"It'll be fine!" she insisted. "Mom and dad won't let her eat you either."

"But what if your mom and dad want to eat me?"

She bit down on her lip as she gave the question thought. In the end she came up with the only answer she could think of. "I won't let them eat you either."

"Still not exactly easing the tension..."

Ruby reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders comfortingly. Looking down and frowning at what she saw, she stood on the tips of her toes to try to be able to look him in the eyes better. Stupid tall person. Why did he have to be so tall?

"Jaune, do you trust me?" she asked earnestly.

"Do I trust the girl who nearly killed me by drinking all my blood..."

"I thought we established that was an accident, Jaune!" she squawked indignantly. Ruby shook her head, trying to get back on track. "Anyway, do you trust me?"

Jaune seemed to ponder the question for a moment before his eyes returned to hers. He smiled weakly at her, which was probably the best he could muster at the moment. "Yeah. I trust you."

Her own smile was bigger and brighter. She was simply happy to hear that he did indeed trust her. "Okay. I won't let Yang eat you. Or mom and dad. And Zwei's a good dog and doesn't even drink blood anyway. You'll be fine, okay? We're just gonna have a nice family dinner. And it'll be safe and polite and no one will die. Okay?"

The boy nodded. Ruby nodded back.

She took hold of his hand, thinking that he would likely need her to lead the way once more just in case his legs decided to stop moving again.

Bringing him into the dining room, she braced herself for his introduction to the rest of her family.

* * *

The noodles were good. As good as he would have expected from A Simple Wok. It looked like Ruby really had went ahead and ordered delivery for him. Still, it felt odd that he was the only one at the table to have a bowl of the steaming noodles in front of him.

Ruby sat to his immediate left, close enough so that their shoulders nearly touched. For a table only meant to seat four, it was the only option. A large goblet of blood stood before her, and even in his periphery he could see the dark red liquid sitting and waiting to be drank.

Going around the rest of the table, Yang sat to the left of them. Her mother, Summer, who looked remarkably like Ruby sat opposite of them. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that she just cloned herself to produce a younger version of her named Ruby. Finally to their right was her father, Taiyang, who like him wore blond hair and blue eyes. He shared far more of a resemblance to Yang than Ruby.

Jaune had seen movies portray awkward dinner scenes before. It was funny how this put them all to shame. Here he was, a lone human in a house full of vampires, attempting to have a meal with them. He wondered what they all thought of him. If they liked him at all. Or maybe they thought Ruby's taste in friends was awful. No pun intended.

Finally the silence was broken when Summer spoke. "Ruby, you haven't even touched your blood," she said with a tinge of concern in her voice. "Are you not hungry?"

"I think Jaune spoiled her," Yang joked. "She can only drink straight from the source now."

All eyes focused on him and Ruby. He felt the girl beside him shrink under the collective gazes of her family.

"Why are you all staring!" she demanded. "Stop being weird! You know how much I hate pressure!"

Jaune recalled her saying something similar when they had first met. She couldn't perform under pressure. As it turned out, she hadn't been able to perform period prior to meeting him. But was she really so turned off by blood that even a glass full of it was difficult for her to consume?

"So being with Jaune helps with your performance anxiety?" the blonde girl quipped.

"Okay! Now _that _I know was meant to sound dirty!"

"Yang, stop teasing your sister about the boy she brought home," Summer chided.

"Mom!"

"And Ruby," she continued. "There's no reason to be embarrassed about bringing a human home. After all, I fell in love with your father and look how we turned out?"

Ruby was practically vibrating next to him out of sheer embarrassment. She was fortunate her vampire biology left her unable to blush, or else her face would have been red as the blood in front of her. This was definitely not what Ruby had in mind when she had invited him over.

What Summer had said was interesting, however. Had one of them been a human and one a vampire at some point in their relationship? That was how it sounded, at least. And that was in fact a good thing. From what Jaune could gather, Ruby's mom had no interest in eating him because she had at one point been involved in a vampire-human relationship herself.

Wait, relationship? Did Summer have the wrong idea about him and Ruby?

Or was it Jaune himself who had the wrong idea?

"So, Jaune," Yang said. Her words along with her bright grin earned his attention, and he shifted his focus back over to her. "How does it feel to be my sister's first?"

Jaune choked on his drink, which was thankfully water rather than the warm red liquid which filled everyone else's goblets. "I- no, it's not like that at all!" he insisted. If Summer _did_ have the wrong idea, this would only complicate things further.

A worried glance over at Taiyang saw his attention on Ruby. "Ruby? Is this true?" he asked evenly.

The vampire next to him fidgeted before nodding furiously. "Yeah, dad. Jaune was my first time."

Jaune in turn began to shake his head wildly as Tai's eyes shifted over to him. "Wait, no! It's not true! I didn't-"

"So the fang punctures on your neck are from another vampire then?"

His hand came up to feel the still present wounds on his flesh. "Oh. That first..."

Yang began to giggle uncontrollably. That had probably been her intention all along. Jaune's face was burning with embarrassment, and he hoped his red, flushed cheeks wouldn't be seen as some sort of invitation for the table of vampires to chow down on him.

"What kind of first time did you think we were talking about?" the father asked.

Red alert! Ruby's dad was all but asking him if he had done anything with his daughter. This was horrible. If they hadn't had a reason to eat him before, they would now! Even if he hadn't done anything besides kiss her!

The tension in the air was palpable, and Jaune didn't know what to say. Too much protest would only hurt his cause. But if he didn't deny it here and now then Tai would assume the worst.

The silence in the air was suddenly shattered when the man started laughing.

"Oh kid, you're too much," Tai chuckled before taking a sip of his drink. "I'm just messing with ya."

Jaune laughed nervously as well. Never had he forced a laugh more than this one. "Y-yeah. Good one."

"In all honesty it's nice to meet you. You have to be special if you were able to get Ruby to actually get over her fear of blood."

It had been a matter of circumstance really. Ruby had been deprived of food for a long time prior to her chomping down on his neck. Sure their budding friendship may have helped, but desperation had as well.

"I don't know about special," Jaune admitted. "I couldn't just sit back and watch her suffer like that. So I-"

His words died in his mouth before he could continue when Ruby latched onto his arm. "Jaune, don't tell! It's embarrassing!"

The three other vampires began to laugh, and each carried behind it a different intention. Summer still smiled sweetly as she regarded the pair across from her. Yang's laugh carried familiar mischief in its tone, loving the fact that her little sister was embarrassed. Tai's meanwhile held the same good natured amusement he had shown only moments before at Jaune's expense.

"So there's a story behind it," the man mused. "I'd like to hear it someday."

Ruby pouted, glaring at her dad for suggesting the tale be spoken aloud. Clearly Ruby was still embarrassed by her performance at the Arc household.

"Yeah," Yang agreed. "When I told Ruby she had to go out and get some blood on her own, I didn't expect her to actually bring her food home with her."

"I think it's sweet," Summer said earnestly. "Look how she's grabbing onto Jaune's arm protectively. I don't know if she's trying to protect him from us, or if she hopes that he'll protect her from your teasing."

With those words Ruby immediately relinquished her claim on his arm. Jaune's body felt colder almost instantaneously. Maybe he did indeed feel safer so long as Ruby was next to him.

Or maybe he felt something else entirely.

"Aww, don't be embarrassed," her sister laughed. "It's okay. We all need comfort food from time to time."

"That's so adorable," their mother said. She turned to Tai. "Honey, doesn't this remind you of anyone?"

"I don't know, Summer. Jaune doesn't seem like an obsessed fangirl who wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

The woman hummed. "And in the end you still said 'yes' and chose me to live by your side forever."

Ruby threw her hands up. "Mom, dad! I didn't invite Jaune over to hear about your dysfunctional romantic past! We just wanna eat!"

"But our dysfunctional dating life seems so relevant right now, sweetie."

"Mom!"

"I'm just saying..."

The tiny redhead beside him stood up. "That's it!" she announced with finality. "I'm not hungry anymore." Ruby grabbed hold of Jaune's arm, prompting him to stand up before dragging him away from the table. "Come on, Jaune. Let's get away from these weirdos."

Looking back at the table of surprisingly non-murderous vampires, Jaune saw how they all wore smiles on their faces. Apparently everyone there had been having a good time but Ruby.

Jaune waved lightly with the hand that wasn't in Ruby's grip. "Um, thanks for the meal," he said as he was pulled away from them.

"Aww, Ruby wants to be alone with her human," Summer cooed. "See, it's just like when I was younger. Jaune, you think sunlight's overrated, right?"

Ruby's frustrated scream was the last thing Jaune heard before exiting the dining room.

* * *

Jaune hadn't known what to expect from a vampire's room when he entered it. As it turned out, it wasn't much different from his own.

Save for the heavy black curtains which covered the window.

Various posters adorned the walls from all sorts of popular media. From movies to comics to bands, if he didn't know any better Jaune would have said this was the room of any average non-vampire teenager.

Speaking of comics, he saw how those littered the floor as well. Had he been a collector he would have worried that they would soon lose their mint condition status. Her taste in the material was decent. There were good titles like X-Ray and Vav, but he also saw something called Absolute Boyfriend. Jaune wasn't a fan of romance titles, but then again everyone was entitled to their own opinions.

Ruby was still sulking, seated on her bed. The girl had been surprisingly quiet since she had brought him to her room to escape the teasing of her family. What a family they had turned out to be. He had expected them to glare at him with murderous intent, keen to devour his own blood for their meal. Instead they had greeted him as warmly as possible. Save for Yang, that was, who had dished out a dose of sisterly teasing that Jaune himself was all too familiar with. Yang would get along great with Saphron, now that he thought about it.

Still, he was happy to get away from them. Ruby's mom had been speaking a bit _too_ freely about them, and it was obvious Jaune hadn't been the only one who was uncomfortable with it. It had been enough to force Ruby away and to drag him with her. Now that they were free from her family's jokes, what did she intend to do?

The answer came when she spoke for the first time since shutting the door behind them. "I'm sorry."

Jaune frowned as he turned to face her. Her head was still hanging low as she sat on the mattress. He took a step toward her. "For what?"

Ruby sighed, and her head rose to regard him. Silver eyes showed no trace of the energy and glee they normally held. "Them," she said simply. "Everything they said. Making fun of us."

His frown turned to a soft smile as Jaune moved to sit next to her. Not too close, still keeping a little bit of space between them. The last thing he wanted was to be open to more potential teasing should someone like Yang barge in.

"It's okay. I'm just glad they liked me. At least your mom seemed to."

More than just liked him, it would seem. More than a small part of him thought that Summer not only liked him, but approved of the idea of him and Ruby being in some sort of romantic relationship. He hoped to get some sort of explanation on her and Taiyang's past.

"Ugh," Ruby groaned as if she had just drank sour blood. "I'm _really_ sorry about that."

So Jaune clearly wasn't the only one who saw the meaning behind the woman's words. Still, for a girl who was seemingly into romance comic books, it was strange that she was so seemingly disgusted by the idea of romance.

It looked like if he wanted to get some more information on what had happened, he would need to ask himself. "Can I ask you something?"

Silver eyes met blue. "Yeah?"

"Your mom and dad," he began, trying to think of a good way to phrase the question without seemingly overly curious. "They made it sound like, um, one was a human when they met."

Ruby sighed, falling back onto her bed into a laying position. Had he brought up a bad topic?

"So apparently a few years ago, vampires were really big in Remnant pop culture," Ruby explained. "Movies and TV shows and stuff. Girls were crazy about the stuff, especially about the romance part of it. Guess where my mom fit into that?"

Jaune already knew the answer. So that was what Tai had meant by 'fangirl'.

"Ah," he said knowingly.

"So long story short, they fell in love. Apparently my mom just wouldn't stop stalking the guy, which is saying a lot when you're stalking a creature that stalks the night. But in the end dad decided he wanted mom to be with him forever. So he drank her blood, she drank his. And that's how you get a vampire."

That was interesting. Jaune had no idea how vampires were made, but apparently it was as simple as that. Still, that didn't explain how Ruby and Yang came about. Could vampires even have children?

"And what about you?"

Ruby jolted back up to a sitting position in a flash. "W-what about me? Who said I loved a human? I didn't say that!"

Jaune blinked at her. "I mean... were you born before or after your mom was turned?"

A pair of pointy fangs stuck out adorably as her eyes widened. Ruby turned away from him. "Oh. Um, before."

That made sense. He didn't know if it was even possible for an undead creature to give birth. Probably not. But he didn't want to go anymore into vampire biology lessons than he already had.

"Do you like it?"

She turned back to face him. "I guess. Being super fast and strong is cool. It's like being a real life super hero. I guess the whole sun thing kinda sucks, but who needs the sun anyway?"

_You think sunlight's overrated, right?_ Summer's words echoed in his mind.

"Uh, plants?" he answered.

Ruby snorted a laugh. "Dummy. You know what I meant."

Jaune chuckled softly. "But yeah I guess you're kinda like a huntress then, aren't you? With the whole super strong and tough thing. You could definitely be like, a nighttime huntress if you wanted."

Ruby hummed. "That's right... you said you were going to Beacon Academy in a few days right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Gonna be starting a whole new adventure there."

"That sucks," she said glumly. Her head quickly perked up, realizing what she said. "I mean, it doesn't suck that you're going, because that's what you wanna do and stuff. But... if you're at Beacon then..."

He heard the unspoken words. If he was at Beacon then they wouldn't be able to hang out. If he was at Beacon, would she go hungry?

No. She would never truly be at risk of that happening. She had a family that loved and cared for her. If she was unable to feed herself then they would provide for her. But she would, however, lose out on the first and only human she had been able to drink from on her own.

"You could always come too," he joked. "With your powers I bet you could pass off as a junior huntress."

"A junior huntress who doesn't go out in the day and doesn't eat food. That won't be suspicious at all."

He had to admit she had a good point. "Well when you put it like that..."

"But if I did go I'd be with my friend," she said, countering her own point.

"Don't forget your own personal blood bank," he added.

A light slap to the arm followed. "I wasn't thinking that!"

Jaune laughed. "I know. It's just fun messing with you. I get why your family does it so much."

Ruby snarled as adorable a snarl as could be imagined. Her face scrunched up trying to look angry, but only made her look cute and endearing as a result. It was a face that screamed 'keep teasing me please!'.

As if triggered by his words, Ruby's stomach audibly growled. Now that he thought about it, and Summer's words, Ruby hadn't touched her blood at dinner. Now she was paying the price for her eating issues.

"Was it something I said?" he joked.

"Not funny, Jaune!"

"Still. You didn't eat tonight. Are you hungry?"

Ruby fiddled with her fingers as they rested on her lap. "Maybe..."

Despite the fact that she had nearly killed him the last time she drank from him, Jaune still trusted his friend. After the concern she had shown him the night in his own home, he knew the girl meant him no harm. He knew that she cared for him deeply.

He moved closer to her until their legs touched, and tilted his head ever so slightly. "Well, if you're hungry... you could always..."

Jaune heard her swallow hard. He felt the sudden hot breath from her lips as she stared intently at the pulsing flesh of his neck. Here he was presenting her with a hot, fresh meal. One all too tempting for a hungry vampire like herself.

"You'd really do that?" she asked softly. "After what happened last time?"

"You asked me if I trusted you earlier," he smiled. "And I do."

Ruby's tongue darted out and licked her lips. He wasn't sure if she was even conscious of the fact that she did so.

He also wasn't sure if Ruby was aware of the fact that she had already began closing the distance between them as she spoke. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm sure."

Arms wrapped around his torso, probably instinctively to ensure that her prey could not get away as she fed. He was not prey, however. He gave her his blood willingly. She had no need to keep him in her grasp.

But then again... he enjoyed the feeling of being in her paradoxically warm embrace...

For the second time in a few days Jaune felt teeth sink into his skin. He gasped as her mouth met his flesh, and the strange, uncomfortable feeling of having his blood sucked from his veins filled his body. Ragged breaths and sounds slipped through his lips at the feeling, and had anybody been listening in they would have thought that something amorous was occurring for sure. But then again, maybe something was.

The girl had learned from her previous mistake, and after only a few seconds she tore herself away from him, lest she drain him of too much of his precious blood. Her lips smacked, and a satisfied groan sounded in her throat. Jaune was a little bit lightheaded, but he had not passed out like he had before.

A glance at the girl showed her licking her lips, and her silver eyes had glazed over in pure bliss. Bliss, and exhaustion by the looks of it.

"You're so yummy..." she whispered. "And I'm so tired now..."

Checking his scroll, it was early morning now. The sun was probably already starting to come up, not that he could tell through the black curtains which shielded the room from its deadly rays.

"Big meals make me tired sometimes too," he joked. Apparently she was too tired to react to it.

What she wasn't too tired to do, however, was grab onto his arm and pull him down with her.

Ruby moaned contently, snuggling her body up against his own, her head resting against the arm she had once again latched onto. Jaune pulled a little bit trying to break free, but her iron grip on his body was absolute.

Lying flat on his back, Jaune sighed as he reflected upon his predicament. The last time Ruby had drank from him he had passed out. This time it was the other way around. Then again there wasn't his near-death experience to keep her awake and alert. It was bedtime for the vampire, and she had just fed well. It only made sense that she was tired.

He supposed he would just have to make the most of the experience, and closed his eyes as well. Maybe he'd be able to catch a few more hours of sleep which had been interrupted by the girl when she had stopped by his house.

As he lay there, trying his best to drift off to his own slumber, he felt lips once more come up to his neck. Only lips this time, however. Even without teeth though, it did not stop Ruby from continuing to suckle harmlessly on skin of his neck.

It didn't stop her from kissing it either.

"Yummy..." she uttered wearily in her sleep.

Yeah, forget sleeping. Not when Jaune had a pretty girl next to him kissing his neck. Not when that girl had called him yummy in more ways than one.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So I _guess_ people liked this little one shot. Enough that a lot of you thought that there was more of a story to it. Maybe there is. At least a second chapter, with a possible route for more with the introduction of Beacon. Will it continue? I have no idea. Only if I can come up with good material to do so.

Thank you for your overwhelming support and desire to see more. Without it there wouldn't have been a chapter 2.

I hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 3

Jaune stared out the window of the airship into the night. Below him the lights of Vale reminded him of exactly what he was leaving. The familiarity and normalcy of a simple city life. Everything was being put aside for his dream.

Who knew that achieving his dream would be such a trying task even before arriving at Beacon?

A foul taste remained in his mouth even after he had washed it out with copious amounts of water. The bitter aftertaste of vomit clung to it like moss on a damp stone. Thankfully fewer people than normal had seen him violently throw up as a result of his motion sickness. The air ship was sparsely populated at night, but it was the only time he was able to travel with Ruby. Sunlight did not exactly agree with the girl.

A glance to his side showed his vampire companion as happy as could be. She had ultimately decided to head to Beacon Academy with him, and follow in his pursuit in becoming a huntsman. Jaune wondered if this was all just a silly little adventure to the girl. To him this journey meant everything. He was setting out to become the hero he had always wanted to be. But for Ruby? She had made this decision on a whim. One she could easily turn back from if she decided it wasn't to her liking, and go on living her eternal life as a vampire.

It raised the question of just how old the girl was. Sure, she physically appeared as a teenager. However as a girl who didn't age, she could in reality be as old as his parents. Or even older. He didn't exactly want to ask. Even he knew never to ask a woman's age.

Jaune sighed, leaning his head back against the seat. A fair bit of nervousness gnawed at the pit of his stomach. There was apprehension and uncertainty flooding his body. He hoped that they would still let him in. He was supposed to be on an earlier air ship, but said vampire issues prevented that.

A nudge to his shoulder earned his attention, and he turned to Ruby to see concerned silver eyes. "What's wrong? Are you gonna puke again?"

Jaune frowned. Why was that the first thing she thought of? "I just hope they'll let us in," he explained. "It's late. We're late. All the applicants were supposed to be there earlier in the day."

He didn't exactly want to come out and say it was because of her that they had to travel at night. Jaune wouldn't blame his friend for what she was. Or her travel restrictions. After all, he had done plenty of that the first time they had met.

"Ah," Ruby said, raising a finger in protest. "A vampire is never late. She arrives precisely when she needs to."

Jaune's lips twisted. "I thought that was wizards."

"Vampires can be wizards too, _Jaune!_"

"Can they?"

Ruby nodded confidently. "Probably." Okay, maybe not so confidently. "At least that's what my Swords and Sorcery rulebook says."

She patted her backpack, the solid thump of her palm meeting something hard sounding in his ears. Something like a hardback textbook.

"You play S&S?" he asked.

Ruby grinned, opening her pack up and reaching in to pull out a familiar looking book. Sure enough, the big and thick Swords and Sorcery rulebook was held firmly in her tiny hands, and Ruby looked proud of it as she held it aloft before Jaune.

"Yup!" she said happily.

"Wow, you brought it with you. You really are a dork."

She snorted as she shoved the book back into the bag. "Says the guy who had like, a whole wall full of retro video games."

"Says the girl who played them all. And _lost._"

Eyebrows narrowed and a cute little nose scrunched up in what Jaune assumed was supposed to be anger. However, Ruby could never pull off anger. Ever.

"Oh yeah? Well maybe I'm someone who can appreciate a little gaming. And the only reason I lost is because all the games I play are online. I don't do any of that ancient 16 bit stuff anymore."

"Online," Jaune mused. He did a little bit of that himself. "I bet your online name is something like 'Gamergirl1031'. Because you gotta let everyone know you're a girl who plays games."

"It is not!" she protested.

"Oh right. Not dorky enough. Is XxVampyreGamerGurlxX more like it?"

If looks could kill, Jaune would be... just fine.

Ruby glared at him with all the fury of a thousand rubber ducks, her twitching and pouting lower lip betraying none of the danger that a vampire should possess. It spoke volumes to just how unthreateningly Jaune viewed her if he was deliberately mocking and picking a fight with a being who he knew could murder him with zero troubles.

"I will _eat_ you if you keep making fun of me," she growled.

Jaune quirked an eyebrow. "Bite me."

For several seconds the two teens stared into each other's eyes. Ruby's adorable anger and Jaune's stone-faced expression held the other's gaze, each waiting for the other to capitulate.

In the end neither backed down. Instead their masks fell, and their lips curled into tight smiles before both began to giggle.

"I'm glad we're friends," Ruby said happily as she saw fit to make use of Jaune's shoulder as a makeshift pillow.

The boy didn't react when she did so. After all they had been through together, such an action could hardly be considered intimate. They had done much, much more than this already. Jaune had shared his blood with her. Ruby had kissed him as thanks for his sacrifice. His head had made use of her lap for its own pillow. An then there had been the time she had snuggled up to him in bed and sucked on his neck until a massive hickey was left on it...

Yeah a little bit of friendly shoulder pillow was nothing for the boy who had already been through so much with his friend.

"Me too," he agreed.

As quickly as her head had settled against him, it came back up so that she could look him in the eyes. "And you know what? Without me you would have taken an earlier air ship. A lot more people would have seen you violently throwing up all over the place. Imagine how embarrassing that would have been. You probably would have gotten it all over some pretty girl's shoes."

Ruby did make a valid point. One that he had thought of earlier himself. At least by taking this later air ship, there hadn't been a large crowd to witness his body's reaction to air travel.

"I guess."

"If anything I did you a favor by making you take a later ship," she continued. "You should be thanking me, Jaune. Go ahead and thank me, Jaune."

Such arrogance was unbefitting of a girl as immature an energetic as Ruby. Mirrored eyes sparkled with mischief and glee which were more suited to the girl's older sister.

"You're right," he admitted. A haughty smile curled on Ruby's lips at this. "Thank you for being so utterly helpless when like, ninety percent of people are up and going about their lives."

Ruby reacted as if she had been shot. She recoiled away from him, her eyes widening and mouth opening in shock. "Hey! Don't call me a ten percenter! What even is a ten percenter? Is that some kind of insult?"

"I don't know. You're the one who just made it up right now."

"Yes, but it was _implied_ that you thought I was a ten percenter."

"Which still may or may not be a bad thing," he reminded her.

"It _was_ a bad thing, Jaune." The supreme confidence she spoke with betrayed nothing about the fact that she had just made up the supposed insult on the spot. "I know a bad thing when I hear it."

"And yet you still choose to call yourself Bloodrose..."

"That's a cool last name!"

"Uh huh."

"Don't you 'uh huh' me." Her arms folded across her chest, and Ruby cast a sideways glare at him. "Stupid no-good ninety percenter."

"Hey, Ruby? What percentage of people in the world are vampires?"

The scowl slipped from the redhead's lips, and her eyes shifted upward as she considered the question. Ruby' mouth moved silently, her mind focused on some sort of calculation. Jaune wondered if she actually had some inkling of what the answer might be. If maybe vampires in Remnant were some sort of exclusive club, and Ruby knew them all.

Such a hypothesis proved to be false when she finally gave her answer. "Uh... I dunno. Like, a really, really small one?"

The boy shrugged. "Okay. You're not a ten percenter then."

Jaune's retraction seemed to placate Ruby, and a happy smile formed on her face. "Thank you."

"You're a really, really small percenter."

As quickly as the smile had come it vanished once more into adorable rage. "That's even worse!"

"Is it?"

"Probably!"

"There's nothing wrong with being a really, really small percenter," he said comfortingly. Like a parent might say to their child while trying to bring them back from a temper tantrum. "It just makes you, um... special."

Ruby's hands flew into the air. "Oh don't even start with that. All my life whenever I feel self-conscious about something, they call me special. 'It's okay if you're afraid of blood even though you're a vampire. That just makes you special. Don't worry, Ruby. There's nothing wrong with being short. That just means you're special'."

The vampire part made sense. Her family would try to comfort her for her inability to drink blood. It was an essential part of her life. Her fear of blood hindered her ability to live a normal life. At least normal in a vampire sense. But the short thing? That had come out of nowhere.

"...are you mad about being short?" he asked.

Ruby scowled, and her expression did not match the words of her answer. "No! Being tall is overrated. At least I don't bump my head when I go down into basements. And I have no problem at all finding clothes that fit."

Blue eyes looked over Ruby's familiar black and red outfit. With her corset, skirt, fishnet stockings, and boots, she looked like a stereotypical Mistrali cartoon girl. And don't even get him started on the hooded cape.

"And for all those options you still chose those..." he sniped.

"My outfit's cool!" she protested.

"I'd expect no less from Ruby Bloodrose."

"Oh yeah? Well what kind of name is Arc? More like... like... narc! 'Cause you're always trying to ruin my fun!"

"What was that, shorty?" Jaune asked, leaning in closer to her. "I can't hear you from all the way down there."

Apparently those words had done the trick, and the mounting pressure from Jaune's verbal barbs finally made the vampire snap. Like a tightly coiled spring, Ruby shot up from her seat, a snarl on her lips as she pounced on and tackled Jaune from his own.

The two teens fell into the air ship's aisle, Ruby straddling the boy and fighting for control of his arms.

"Ruby!" Jaune protested, hands flailing and legs kicking. "Get off!"

"Never!"

Tiny fingers finally found purchase on Jaune's wrists, and with a show of strength which didn't suit her tiny frame, Ruby was able to pin his arms down onto the floor above his head. Her chest pressed down on his, and her face hung only inches above his own.

Jaune struggled with all his might and tried his best to break free from the vampire's hold, but the strength of a human was no match for hers. Ruby had him down and underneath her, entirely at her mercy. If she so desired she could reach down and sink her teeth into his neck, draining him of all his blood and killing him where he lay. However, Jaune knew Ruby would never do this. Even in her agitated state. His concerns rested in an entirely different arena.

"How's it feel now, Mister Tall McTallson?" she smiled as struggled helplessly underneath her. "How the mighty have fallen! The bigger they are the harder they fall! Weather's pretty nice down here, isn't it! You've been defeated by a short girl!"

Jaune continued to grunt and strain through gritted teeth, but to no avail. There was no escaping Ruby when she wanted something, and right now she wanted his submission.

"Ruby! People are staring!"

"Let them stare!" Her head lowered, and her nose brushed against his. "Let them see how I defeated you!"

Their chests both heaved, and Jaune could feel every bit of Ruby's softness pressed against him. He could feel the pressure on his hips as her strong legs squeezed down to hold him in place. He could feel her breath on his lips, and she undoubtedly could feel his ragged gasps for air on hers. For long seconds the two stared at one another in their position on the floor.

Until Ruby's eyes went wide, as if she had suddenly awoken from a dream and realized just what kind of position they were in. As she realized just how close her face was to his. Her lips were to his. Her skirted hips were to his.

She retreated quickly, dismounting from the boy and going back to her seat. Jaune was quick to stand up as well, and glanced around to see every pair of eyes aboard the ship staring at him. He was quick to look away, blushing furiously, and could offer them no excuse or explanation as to what had just occurred. He could only hope they would arrive at Beacon soon enough.

Sitting back down next to Ruby, he saw how she stared down at her lap, and how her fingers and thumbs played with themselves nervously. Yeah, that had been a little awkward. It had also been entirely her own fault.

"Spaz," he quipped softly. His sideways glance saw how Ruby had turned to regard him. And how the embarrassment on her face had shifted into a tiny smirk.

"Dummy," she shot back.

Jaune lightly bumped her shoulder with his. She retaliated in kind, though much stronger, and made his torso sway away from her. Jaune would never get over how strong of a body this tiny girl possessed. She could probably lift him over her shoulder as easily as he would a sack of potatoes.

The rest of the ride to Beacon was a return to normalcy. A return to the small talk and friendly bickering that was a staple of their friendship. If Jaune was about to enter into the unknown, he was happy he wouldn't be doing it alone.

He was happy to have a trusted friend by his side as he embarked on the road of adventure.

* * *

This hadn't been what she had expected when she decided to come to Beacon.

Supposedly being a huntress was living a life of adventure. It was about cool weapons and defeating the creatures of Grimm. There was violence, excitement, freedom, and all sorts of fun stuff that was straight out of a video game.

This... was not that.

Dozens of teenagers were crammed into a large room with no sense of privacy or comfort. Everyone had some sort of sleeping bag or blanket around them as they tried to sleep on the floor. And the stench? Awful! Who thought it was a good idea to shove all these kids at the height of puberty together in one place. They were sweating like crazy! But at least none of them were having sex...

Ruby laid back against her pillow, it having been provided to her by Beacon's staff. They seemed surprised that she had come to the school so unprepared, but that really was the reality of the situation. She had only just decided to try attending the school a couple days ago, and she didn't exactly have things like camping gear at the ready.

One particularly tall and stern looking blonde woman, so unfairly stacked that even Yang's jaw would have dropped in jealousy, had been the most disapproving. She had repeatedly explained to both her and Jaune the importance of punctuality and following the rules. 'You are expected to arrive on time with the rest of the students', she had said. 'You missed Headmaster Ozpin's opening ceremony speech', she had nagged.

Honestly Ruby didn't know why the big woman was so angry. Especially when she had offhandedly commented that Ruby at least 'dressed like a huntress'. She took that as a compliment. At least someone appreciated her awesome black and red outfit.

Tossing and turning in her borrowed sleeping bag, Ruby let out a frustrated growl at her predicament. It was late night. In other words, it was time to be up and doing things. She was wide awake, unlike the rest of these mortals who slept when it was dark out. More than that, she was _bored._ A few conversations were still going on, little more than hushed whispers so that they would not disturb their sleeping peers. Ruby, sadly, had no such companion to share words with.

A glance over at Jaune showed the boy on his side, sound asleep. The vampire frowned, fangs protruding ever so slightly through clenched lips. If she wasn't going to be able to sleep then she needed something to do. Someone to talk to. And not knowing anyone else around here, there was only one option to cure her boredom.

"Jaune," she whispered, nudging him in the shoulder lightly. "Hey, Jaune. Are you awake?"

No response from the boy. She hadn't been expecting one. But now that the formalities had been taken care of, she was free to use any means necessary to wake her sleeping friend.

Ruby flipped over on her side so that she faced the boy, and so that her arm would be free to do what needed to be done. "Jaune, if you don't wake up in the next ten seconds, I'ma poke your butt."

The girl counted down softly, dramatically, so that anyone who might have been listening could bear witness to the fact that she had given Jaune his chance to stop her. Including Jaune himself, should he only be feigning sleep in this moment.

"Oh well, you had your chance," she said once zero had been reached. Ruby raised her hand, and only her index finger stuck out as she lowered it and pressed down against Jaune's backside. "Poke." The vampire's eyebrows raised. "Huh. Firm."

No response. The boy's body had shifted slightly from the strength of her prodding, but he otherwise remained asleep.

"Poke," she said once more as she again jammed her finger against him. "Poke. Poke. Poke."

After several more pokes, each with mounting pressure on his flesh, Jaune began to stir. A soft groan slipped through his lips, and he flipped onto his back. His head turned with it so that he faced the offending girl.

Ruby grinned mischievously, her mission having been accomplished. "Hi," she said sheepishly.

"Ruby?" he asked groggily. "Why are you poking my butt?"

"What? You don't like your butt being touched by a pretty girl?"

Jaune groaned again, and his hands came up to rub the weariness from his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Time to be up and doing stuff. I'm bored."

"And your first thought is butt stuff?"

Ruby had no idea if Jaune realized what he was implying in his tired state, but she was taken aback nonetheless. "Jaune!" she whispered harshly. "Not cool!"

"Huh?" he asked. Jaune sat up, his hands pressing down on the floor in order to support his still half-asleep body.

Before Ruby could bother explaining his poor choice of words, however, a shrill voice cut through the quiet night. "Do you two have no shame?"

Turning to the source of the voice, Ruby saw a girl with long white hair standing above them. Arms were folded across a pale blue nightgown, and even in the dim light Ruby could see that icy blue eyes were glaring down at her angrily.

"People here are trying to sleep. Either learn to control your hormones in a crowded room full of people, or excuse yourselves to satisfy your debauchery in the privacy of another room."

By now Jaune was fully awake. A scathing accusation like that had that sort of effect on anyone. "W-what?" he asked.

"Yeah, Jaune," Ruby agreed happily. "Stop making me poke your butt."

"But I didn't do anything!"

"I gave you ten seconds and you failed to meet the challenge. This is all your fault, you know."

Jaune shook his head incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"Enough!" the other girl shouted. "Do you not understand that we need to be fully rested and prepared for initiation tomorrow? Your incessant rambling is waking everyone else up."

"So are you," Ruby muttered.

"Excuse me? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

She didn't. Should she?

Ruby focused her attention on the girl above her, and silver eyes lit up with excitement. She was on her feet in a heartbeat, or it would have been a heartbeat if she had one. Within seconds she was standing right in front of the girl, who was someone maybe an inch or two shorter than she was. No wonder Miss White Hair was so angry.

"Oh my gosh!" Ruby exclaimed. "Your skin is so pale! Are you a vampire too?"

That would explain the girl's foul temper. Clearly she would be used to being up and about at this hour too, and having to be forced to sleep through the night would get on her nerves. It would explain her arrogance, as vampires were undoubtedly superior to the humans who walked the face of Remnant. Her fellow blood drinker probably just assumed that Ruby was a lowly human herself, and thus treated her with the proper amount of respect due a walking talking blood bag.

Except Jaune. Jaune was cool. Even if he was technically her own personal blood bag as well... he was still so much more than that.

"What in the world are you talking about?" the other girl asked.

"Wow, I've never seen skin so pale," Ruby continued to gush. She grabbed hold of the girl's wrist and began to examine the skin. "Not even mine. I mean, maybe I get it from my dad. Leave it to him to somehow still have a tan even though he's a vampire, but my dad is like, super cool. He finds a way. Life... finds a way."

"Are you delusional?" She tried pulling her hand away from Ruby, but was unable to break the vampire's strong grip. It was then that Ruby felt something she had not expected from the other girl.

A pulse.

Ruby let go in shock. She wasn't a vampire after all. But she was so pale! How did a human get so pale!

The white-haired girl retracted her arm as soon as it had been freed. "How dare you go about putting your hands on me so liberally!" she snarled. "I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company! I expect to be treated with the respect accorded that title!"

Ruby had to give it to her, that was a pretty impressive introduction. But two could play that game.

She lamented the fact that her hooded cape was missing in her sleeping clothes, but this would just have to do. Words would make up for the lack of her theatrical crimson cloak.

Chuckling darkly, Ruby let her fangs show through her lips for Weiss to see. "Darker than an eclipse on a cloudy day. With an unquenchable need for blood thirstier than that girl over there reading Ninjas of Love. I am she who hunts those who do not wish to be hunted. I... am Ruby Bloodrose!"

The words hung in the air, and Ruby felt a sense of victory as she stare into the pale eyes of the Weiss Schnee. Clearly the other girl was impressed by her super cool introduction. It had outdone her whole heiress shtick for sure.

After several seconds, Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Were you dropped on your head as a child?"

Silver eyes widened. "W-what?"

"Or are you just an immature child who likes to play vampire," she continued. "Honestly you do look too young to be here. How old are you anyway?"

Older than Weiss for sure. Even if her face didn't show it.

Still, she suddenly felt self-conscious after the vicious verbal assault from Weiss. "I... um..."

"And you're even wearing those stupid fake fangs. Clearly you're into a fad which has long since passed. You need to grow up and start carrying yourself like a huntress."

_Fake_ fangs? These babies were one hundred percent real! Real enough to suck the blood straight out of Weiss' pale neck! It was a tempting enough thought, even in a room full of people.

The redhead flinched when he felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing over, she saw Jaune standing beside her. Maybe he had the same thought as her, and wanted to prevent her from doing anything she might regret.

Or maybe he just jealously wanted to be her only source of blood. She couldn't blame him either. Their bond was a special one between vampire and human. There was a level of trust shared that could not be overstated.

In the end, Ruby decided to let her words do the talking for her. As they should!

"Asinine mortal!" she spat.

"Excuse me?"

"Beyond your comprehension!"

Weiss stared at her in confusion. Clearly she wasn't the only one with this feeling.

"Ruby? What are you talking about?" Jaune asked.

She shrugged bashfully. "I dunno. I heard it in a video game and thought it sounded cool..."

"Of course you did," he smiled. "Dork."

The vampire whirled around to face him, jamming a finger into her sternum. "Shut up! You're a dork too!"

"I never said it was a bad thing."

She harrumphed. "Darn right it isn't a bad thing."

"Would you two shut up already!" Weiss shouted. Her arm shot out, leveling an accusing finger at Ruby. "Look here, Ruby Bloodrose! From this day forward you and I are rivals!"

Without waiting for a response, Weiss turned and stomped off angrily back deeper into the room. A room where most of the teens were now awake and had been watching the argument unfold. With it being over now, most lost interest and laid back down to fall back asleep.

Ruby on the other hand was ecstatic. There was no way she'd be able to sleep now.

Turning to Jaune, she grabbed hold of the cuffs of his pajamas and tugged them excitedly. "Did you hear that? I have a rival! It's just like in PokeGrimm!"

The boy frowned down at her. "Not exactly something to be excited about. Especially not her. Her family kinda seems like a big deal."

"A strong rival? This is going to be the best school year ever!"

How cool was that? In the span of only a few days she had found not only a best friend, but a rival! And they would all be together going on crazy adventures, fighting side by side, throwing verbal jabs at each other in the heat of combat even as they saved each other's lives from the creatures of Grimm. Ruby was so excited that she could hardly contain it!

"Hey, Jaune. Since you're up now anyway wanna go explore?"

"I'm only up because of you," he reminded her.

She began pulling him away from the sleeping area. "All the more reason to go with me."

"I don't follow."

"No better time to learn then. Follow me. Onward to victory!"

"What victory?"

"Victory over boredom," she said dramatically. "With General Bloodrose leading the charge!"

"Vampires can be generals now?"

"Vampires can be anything we put our minds to," she stated with no small trace of pride in her voice. Given their lengthy life spans, it wasn't an idle boast either.

Well, they couldn't exactly be _anything_. Like professional beach volleyball players. Or any other profession requiring one to stay out in the sun. But Jaune didn't need to know that.

"Sounds like you're just making things up as you go along," he said as he was being pulled along after her. "I bet your S&S character is a total Mary Sue."

The words caused Ruby's head to turn, an accusing glare staring up at the boy who had just dared to insult her Swords and Sorcery character.

"Shut up! She is not!"

"Oh yeah? What's she like?"

Ruby smiled proudly as she recalled her ultra cool role-playing character. "Ebony Nightshroud is half vampire, half human, and half dragon. She's a Sangromancer, and carries a big scythe, and dresses in all black and red."

Jaune stared at her in stunned silence. Good. Let him be stunned by just how cool Ebony Nightshroud was. Her magnum opus. The greatest character-

"I don't think your math adds up," he said softly.

"Your face doesn't add up!" she countered.

He blinked, stunned by her clever and infallible comeback. That would teach him to get smart with her.

The boy looked around, eyes trying to pierce the darkness of Beacon Academy, but to no avail. "Where are we?"

Ruby glanced around as well. She didn't know. So eager had she been to discuss her S&S character with Jaune that she had completely lost track of where they were going on their quest to explore.

"I don't know. This place is pretty big though."

Jaune nodded in agreement. "Yeah." He hummed, looking around purposefully. "I think I saw a vending machine back that way. I'm kinda craving a midnight snack now."

Ruby frowned. If only it were so easy for her...

Why did he have to go mentioning food?

Now that he had mentioned it, she was feeling pretty hungry as well. This would normally be her lunchtime. She hadn't eaten since before leaving home for the air ship terminal.

Eyes trailed up to that warm, thick neck of her best friend.

"Ruby?" Jaune asked, concerned.

She snapped from her haze. "Huh?"

"You're looking at me like..."

Silver eyes darted away in embarrassment. "Oh. Um..."

"I take it you're hungry?"

Was she that easy to read? Or did Jaune just get her? Even after only knowing each other for so short a time?

Ruby nodded meekly. She hated to think that Jaune might resent her for wanting his blood. Like he might think that she only wanted him as a food source. She felt guilty whenever she fed straight from his veins.

"Well, we are away from everyone else now..." he said softly. "And we do need to be ready for tomorrow. So... no time like the present, I guess?"

Was _he_ eager to let her feed from him? Or did he just view it as nonchalantly as a vampire might? Like he accepted her for her natural biological needs, and thought nothing more of it than that?

Even now it still amazed Ruby that a human like Jaune was so willing to let her drink from him. For most people it would have been an absolute no, and that was without the near-death experience! But Jaune... he didn't seem to mind at all. He had even suggested it.

What a good friend. What more could a vampire ask for?

"I should have packed some blood," she said sadly. "So I wouldn't have to get it from you..."

Medical blood packs were an excellent source of nourishment on the go. But sadly Ruby had not thought to pack any. She wasn't used to going on trips. Or in this case, to a school far from home. It dawned on her just how unprepared she was for an extended stay away from her family.

But... she had Jaune with her. And if he was okay with sharing his blood with her...

"It's okay," he offered comfortingly, pulling her with him so that they were next to the corner of two walls. In the shadows where they would be less likely to be noticed by a random passerby.

Ruby looked up at the boy whose back was pressed against the wall. "You're sure?"

He nodded. "You need your strength. We all need to eat."

Her tongue darted across her lips. With her hands pressed firmly on his chest, Ruby leaned up on the tips of her toes so that her mouth could reach his neck. Normally when they had done this they had sat on a bed together, and the height difference didn't matter. Here though, both standing up, Jaune's much taller frame made feeding all the more difficult.

She stumbled on her toes, and fell forward into the boy. He caught her and his arms came to wrap around her back. His big, warm arms, strong for those of a mere human...

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Don't be." Jaune bent his knees ever so slightly so that she could have better access to his skin. "Better?"

Her eyes stared at his warm, pulsating neck. Her mouth opened, and fangs eagerly approached their next meal. "Much..."

Ruby's lips pressed firmly against his skin, and all traces of fear vanished from her mind. This wasn't just any old blood, after all. This was _Jaune's_ blood. Only his, fresh from his veins, would do. It was the only blood which she could drink with no hesitation. To her it wasn't just blood. It wasn't just a meal. It was something entirely more than that. Something special. Something intimate. Something-

"What are you doing!"

A familiar shriek sounded, and right before she could bite down into Jaune's skin, Ruby whirled around to see a familiar girl standing behind them.

Weiss stood, arm outstretched as she accusingly pointed at them. "Degenerates!"

Ruby's head shook wildly. She knew very well what the girl was saying. "Wait, this isn't what-"

"I know I said for you two to do this away from everyone else, but I didn't think you would actually do it!"

Yeah. She had the entirely wrong idea.

"No! We weren't fooling around!" Ruby insisted. "I was just going to drink his-"

"I don't want to know what it is you planned on drinking!" Ruby winced. That had been a bad place for Weiss to cut off her protest. "But please, do it away from the restrooms as well! People are going to frequent this area!"

A look around showed that they had indeed stopped by the doors to the public restrooms. That must have been where Weiss was going before she saw her and Jaune pressed up against the wall. With her mouth firmly planted on his neck.

"You had better be gone by the time I'm finished," Weiss said as she pulled the door to the women's restroom open.

With that Ruby and Jaune were left alone once more. She glanced over at the boy, and in the dim light could see that he was blushing badly.

She probably would have been too, had she been capable.

"I... think I just lost my appetite for the moment," she admitted softly.

Mistress Buzzkill had that kind of effect.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I understand."

"But we can do it later?" she asked hopefully.

Jaune smiled. "Definitely."

"I- I mean, drink your blood!" she clarified. "Not what Weiss was thinking!"

The boy nodded hurriedly. "Y-yes. Of course. That's what I mean too. Because Weiss had the wrong idea."

"Totally the wrong idea. I mean we only kissed that _one time._"

"Yeah. And we only cuddled that _one time._"

"Yup! It's not like we're a thing or anything. We're just friends."

"Totally friends. The best of friends."

Ruby was happy he agreed. They were indeed the best of friends. Friends who had shared a bed together. Friends who had kissed. A friend who shared his bodily fluid with her...

_Blood!_ her mind protested. _I'm talking about his blood!_

Yup. Friends. Friends with benefits.

_The benefits of sharing blood!_ she again screamed internally.

Nothing to see here. Move along. Just two friends being friendly with each other. Nothing more.

After all, who would ever fall for a dork like him?

Certainly not a dork like her...

* * *

**Author's Note: **What's this? More!? In less than a week? What can I say? I was feeling inspired. I also really enjoy writing this Lancaster dynamic. They really are two best friends who can just act like friends around each other. Teasing, bickering, sarcasm. And of course... romantic tension.

A lot of that inspiration came from the reviews, too. I've gotten a lot of ideas on how this could go and people who could show up later. In ways I hadn't considered before. What ways are those? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. Because I have a feeling there's more to come.

As always I hope you liked it. Thank you all for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, um, what exactly is a landing strategy?"

Those were the last words Ruby heard Jaune speak before he was catapulted off the cliff and toward the great forest below. They didn't sound all too confident.

Ruby hugged the tree line several yards away from the catapult mechanisms which had just begun launching the prospective huntsmen students into the air. Her red hood was up and covering her vulnerable flesh from the blazing hot sun above. Hands hugged around her body, covered by her cloak and desperately shielding themselves from the light.

What had she been thinking! That was just the problem, as it turned out. She hadn't been. Why had she thought this was a good idea to come to Beacon and try living like a normal person? More importantly, why had dad allowed her to do such a thing?

It was a really all his fault, now that she thought about it. She herself was blameless here. Dad should have known better. Yang too. Add Yang to the blame list. Some older sister she was!

"Miss Rose," the Headmaster Ozpin spoke coolly.

Ruby's head snapped up to see the gray-haired man and his blonde female companion. Both were facing her, and Ruby couldn't help but feel that the woman was glaring at her expectantly.

"Y-yes?" she asked nervously. "And it's Bloodrose, by the way."

Ozpin nodded. "Miss Bloodrose, please take your place on the launching pad so that you may begin initiation."

Take her place on the pad? Away from the comforting shade of the trees? Nah! She was fine here. Absolutely fine.

"I... um..." she began hesitantly.

Until she saw it. Until she saw him.

Jaune flailing through the air. Even now her enhanced hearing could make out his panicked screams.

Was he... in trouble?

"Miss Rose," the woman said, ignoring the conversation which had just taken place. "Please take-"

Ruby didn't waste another moment as she rushed out from her cover and stepped on the pad. A second later she was propelled through the air, and she straightened out her body so that it would be more aerodynamic as she sped through the air.

Not aerodynamic enough, by the look of it.

As Jaune continued to twist and tumble in the air, it was obvious that his question had not been a meaningless one. The boy, her best friend, did not have a landing strategy. No, the only landing he would achieve would be splatting against the bark of the first tree he encountered. She was certain the tree would win that battle.

There was only one way she would get to him before that happened.

In a poof of smoke, Ruby transformed into a dark vampire bat. Wings flapped furiously as she sped through the air, and within seconds she was able to catch up to the soon to be dead Jaune. Such was her speed that the tiny red hood she still wore over her mammalian head was torn off by the wind, and the burning sun finally found her. But she had to keep going. She knew that. This was the only way.

Tiny feet found purchase on Jaune's hoodie, and in an instant she was able to halt his forward momentum and bring the airborne boy to a halt. Not a moment too soon either, as the sun's burning rays brought about such agonizing pain that she herself was forced from the sky and down to the ground.

They fell through branches, sticks and leaves coming off the tree as they descended. Her hood was torn clean off by one of the offending branches, and her whole body was exposed to the harsh natural light by the time they landed. And land they did, unceremoniously on the forest floor in a crumpled heap.

While only rays of light shone through the forest canopy, it was enough. Now back in her human form, Ruby felt the searing pain on her skin as the sun kissed it. It was the worst pain imaginable, and she felt as though she was about to burst into flames. She screamed in agony, and for a moment she thought that this would be the end of her.

Until a sudden weight threw itself on top of her. The pain lessened, and Ruby opened her eyes to see what had fallen upon her. To her shock, it was Jaune.

"Ruby!" he cried out. Easy for him to yell when there wasn't a big body of man meat pressing down his chest. "Are you okay?"

His crushing weight pressed down on her, but it was still far better than the sun. The pain had already begun to subside thanks to Jaune using himself to shield her from the light.

"Yeah..." she gasped. "I am now..."

She never knew how good it could feel to have her best friend's body pressing down on her.

Silver eyes widened at the thought. Because he was shielding her from the sun! For no reason other than that! Yes! It only felt good because Jaune was blocking the fatal rays of the sun!

"Here, let me try something," he grunted. Pressing himself up onto his knees, Jaune was still able to use his far larger form to protect her from the sizzling beams of light.

Then he started to strip his hoodie from his torso.

Already wandering thoughts ramped up as the boy atop her began to undress. Was she ready for this sort of thing? Sure, her and Jaune were close. They were best friends. But suddenly changing the dynamic of their friendship could impact them in unforeseen ways in the future!

Mom sure would be happy about it though.

"J-Jaune? I know we just had a near death experience, but don't you think we're moving too fast? This could change our friendship forever!"

He looked down at her quizzically. "No it won't. I'm not letting you _keep_ my hoodie. Just borrowing it so you don't burn to death." He offered the large, covering garment to her. "It should be big enough to cover you up."

Oh. Oh...

If Ruby's blood was actually flowing through her body, she would have been red as the cloak which hung from the tree above them.

As he was about to hand the big black hoodie to her, another voice pierced the air.

"Again!?"

Two heads turned to see an all too familiar girl standing a few feet away. A long, elegant rapier was clutched firmly in her hand, and in all honesty Ruby was just thankful that she wasn't pointing the weapon at them.

"Even out here in the middle of the forest like animals?" Weiss spat. "And during initiation no less?"

Ruby could see how the girl had the wrong idea. After all, she herself had the wrong idea as well. And no, it wasn't because she was secretly hoping that it was actually the case! Just because they had kissed and cuddled and she had drank his blood didn't mean that she wanted to take their friendship to the next level!

"Weiss, this isn't what it-"

She was cut off as the heiress scowled. "You two are the most disgusting pair of perverts I've ever seen!"

Weiss wasted no more words, marching with her head held high away from the pair of so-called perverts.

Ruby saw how Jaune watched the girl leave before turning back to her. "What's her deal?"

The vampire swallowed hard. "I have no idea," she lied. Stupid Weiss. This was somehow all her fault. That pale-skinned human was the only reason Ruby had thoughts about Jaune taking her here and now on her mind!

She finally accepted her friend's hoodie, and put it on under the protection of the shade his large frame provided. The thing hung off her comically, but it sure was comfy.

Jaune stood up slowly when he had finished, careful not to stray too far just in case his hoodie wouldn't be good enough protection. Sure enough, with the baggy garment over her body, and the hood pulled up over her head, Ruby was impervious to the sun's harsh rays. For now at least.

It did little to comfort her, however. She crawled over to the nearest tree trunk on her hands and knees, traumatized by the pain she had experienced in her brief encounter with the sun. She leaned back against it, using the leafy cover above as extra insurance to shield her.

"How're you feeling, Ruby?" Jaune asked softly.

She pulled her knees up against her chest, hooking her arms around to squeeze them tightly. "I dunno," she answered just as quietly.

Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. That was the word her mind kept repeating. What had she been thinking! She nearly died! Coming to Beacon had been such a huge mistake!

She shook her head at the thought. No. It hadn't been actually. If she hadn't been here, if she hadn't seen Jaune's plight as he flew through the air, her best friend would likely be dead right now. If anything, coming to Beacon with him had been the best decision she ever made.

Well, aside from going to his house in the first place planning to feed.

The boy sat down next to her, leaning his own back and head against the tree trunk. She glanced at him to see his eyes closed. What was he doing? Didn't he have this whole initiation thing to do?

"Jaune," she said. "You go on without me. I... um... I don't think I can do this. If I lose this hood..."

The unspoken consequences hung in the air. There were no more hoods available now that Jaune had given her his.

"I know," he replied.

"So if you wanna go finish this thing I'd understand."

Jaune shook his head and opened his eyes before turning to regard her. "Nah."

Nah? Silver eyes narrowed on him. "What do you mean, nah?"

"I mean I'm not leaving you out here alone. Not after what just happened. Do you really think I'd be able to focus on initiation if I was worried about you? What if a Grimm came along and you had to go out into the sun? Or what if it tore my hoodie off you?"

Ruby toyed with her fingers nervously. She looked down at her hands, trying to focus on anything but Jaune right now. How could she look him in the eye when he had all but said he was giving up on his dream for her sake?

That idiot. That stupid idiot! He was going to make her cry! Ruby Bloodrose did not cry! She was the biggest, baddest, coolest vampire on the planet! And here was this human making her feel feels that no vampire should ever... feel!

Her head turned away, lest he see the building moisture in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Jaune. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry."

She flinched when an arm came around her back and a large hand rested against her shoulder. "Shh," he whispered. "It's okay, Ruby."

"It's not okay!" she shouted. "This was your dream and I ruined it! All because I wanted to come with! All because I'm a stupid vampire who can't be out in-"

She was cut off as Jaune used his grasp on her to pull her close to him. Ruby found herself flipped around, her chest facing his now as he used his other arm to take her fully into his embrace. Her eyes widened as he squeezed her tightly.

"Don't ever blame yourself," he spoke into her ear. "And don't ever put yourself down. You're way more important to me than becoming a stupid huntsman. I don't know what I would have done if you had died out here."

Ruby let her eyes shut as she leaned into his chest. Into his comforting grip. Out here in the middle of a Grimm-infested forest, in broad daylight only a few feet away from the blazing sun, she felt oddly at peace.

"Besides..." he continued. "I... may not have been as ready for this as I thought..."

After a few seconds she pulled back in order to look him in the eye. "Jaune?"

The boy winced, his expression becoming uncomfortable. Almost guilty. "I may have falsified my transcripts in order to get in here," he explained. "I don't think I'm really what you'd call huntsman material. Not yet, at least."

Ruby blinked. "Jaune."

"Yeah?"

"Are you for real right now?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Maybe."

She slowly raised a hand, Jaune watching it every step of the way as it came up right in front of his face. In a flash her finger flicked him right between the eyes.

"Ow!" he cried. "What was that for?"

"You mean to tell me you came to Beacon totally unprepared? Like, without training or previous combat school experience or anything?"

Jaune refused to meet her gaze. "Something like that..."

"I bet next you'll tell me you don't even know what Aura is."

"What what is?"

Her jaw dropped. Had she just felt bad about ruining his dream? Jaune ruined his own dream before he even came to this school!

She slipped out of his embrace to lean back against the tree again. "Wow. Just wow."

"Now I know that sounds bad, but hear me o-"

"I wish I could be more blindly positive like that," she interrupted. "Just totally ignorant of reality and going about my day not knowing at all how I'm going to accomplish my goals. Life must be stupidly happy for you, Jaune."

"Really know how to kick a guy while he's down, Ruby."

She shook her head. "Oh come on, Jaune. What did you think was going to happen? Did you really think someone would just magically show up out of nowhere and unlock your Aura? Or teach you everything you need to know about huntsmen? Or somehow be okay that some total geek with no combat abilities would be putting all their lives in danger when they fought Grimm together?" She elbowed his ribs softly. "Bet you hoped it would be a really pretty girl too," she teased.

He reached over to grab the borrowed clothing she wore. "That's it. I'm taking my hoodie back and leaving you out in the sun."

Her hand came to grasp his in an instant. "No don't leave! I'm sorry!"

The boy grinned and his grip loosened. That smile faded away, replaced by a frown as he sighed. "But... yeah. I know. I know what you said was all true. Guess it just hurts to hear someone else say it out loud. I really was pretty stupid, wasn't I?"

"Yup."

"You weren't supposed to agree with me!"

She wasn't agreeing with him out of malice. Rather, she was agreeing with him out of experience. They were a lot more alike in this moment than he realized.

"It's okay though. Because I'm a vampire who thought it'd be a fun idea to join a huntsmen academy and try living like a normal person. You know, out in the daylight?"

Jaune chuckled. "You know when you say _that_ out loud I suddenly don't seem so dumb."

"Nah, you're still pretty dumb," she teased.

"Hey!"

"I guess feelings make people do dumb things."

His brow furrowed. "Feelings?"

Ruby nodded. "Yup. Like... how you wanted to be a huntsman. Or how I just wanted to be able to hang out with my best friend some more. We both kinda dove headfirst into it without thinking. We were being pretty dumb together."

"It almost sounds like you're trying to console me."

Ruby smiled. "Maybe I am." She tapped her chest lightly with a fist. "Just because my heart isn't beating doesn't mean I don't have one."

"Ruby Bloodrose - the vampire with a heart of gold," he said mockingly.

Her face scrunched up in disgust. "Eww that sounds so lame. I chose the name Bloodrose to sound cool!"

"Which let's be honest, hasn't been working out so far. I think your real last name is much cooler.

"Really? Just plain old Rose?"

"Yeah. Plain old Rose."

Ruby hummed. "Maybe I'll take that into consideration."

"We've got plenty of time. Sun's not going down for another few hours."

She looked around, and through the canopy of leaves above could see the sun still hanging annoyingly overhead. It was probably close to noon, meaning they still had several hours before it would be safe to move. While she still could probably move underneath the protective hood Jaune had provided her, she didn't want to risk it.

Besides, it was comfortable here right now. She was tired too. It was way past her bedtime, and she had been up all night.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Enough time to take a nap."

"Wait, what?"

Ruby moved to sit between Jaune's legs, her head leaning back to snuggle against his chest. "I'm a vampire, Jaune. I'm supposed to be asleep during the day."

To his credit, he didn't force her away. "So you're just going to use me as a pillow?"

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"I guess..."

Her eyes closed as her head found the perfect angle to use her friend's body as a pillow. "So wake me up if any Grimm come, okay? I'll protect your dumb, squishy, human self."

"I feel like I should argue against that insult. But you're not wrong about any of it."

Lips curled into a smile. "Wow. I think that's the first time you've never had a comeback."

"But you're still short."

Those eyes snapped back open, and she shifted to get a better angle to administer her vengeance. She slapped his arm. "Jerk!"

"Careful, don't move too much. Wouldn't want you to move out of the shade and into the sun."

"So you're saying I'm stuck here right next to you." Faux disgust filled her tone.

"Yup," he agreed happily. "That's what I'm saying."

Ruby sighed contently, leaning back against his chest once more. "I guess there's worse places to be."

"Probably."

She didn't say another word as sleep began to claim her weary body. Here in the arms of her best friend she felt no fear. She knew he would protect her from the only thing out here that could kill her. Just as she would protect him from the Grimm should they come for them.

It was the perfect partnership. One involving mutual protection and using each other as pillows.

What more could she ask for?

* * *

Night in the big city. Such a refreshing feeling after the events of earlier in the day.

After waking from a refreshing and quite honestly comfortable nap, both Ruby and Jaune had made their way back to Beacon under the cover of darkness. They, like so many other students who had enrolled at Beacon Academy, had failed initiation. With only a few 'relics' as Ozpin had called them available, there hadn't been nearly enough to go around for the several dozen teens who had tried their luck to become huntsmen.

After collecting their belongings they set off, but not before running into the Headmaster of the academy. There was something about him which made the vampire uneasy, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The old man had eyed them both curiously, but ultimately wished them well before they departed. Ruby was fine with that.

The question was, was Jaune?

A glance over to the boy walking next to her gave her no answer. He had been quiet since leaving the school, and that in itself was a bit unusual. Normally the two were always engaging in some sort of banter with each other. They were a talkative pair who just seemed to be in sync. Right now, however, there was just a little bit of tension in the air. Disappointment. Regret. She didn't even need her enhanced vampire senses in order to sense it.

As the pair walked along the sidewalk, Ruby purposefully bumped her shoulder into the tall boy beside her. It succeeded in earning his attention.

"Jaune," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I think so."

A low hum sounded in Ruby's throat. Words didn't match his tone or body language. She didn't like seeing her best buddy sad.

"I just..." he continued. Ruby's full attention was on him. At least he was talking now. Talking was good. Talking was what they did. "I don't know what I'm going to do now. Going to Beacon was kind of my plan for the future. You know, for my life and career and all that. Without it... I guess I'm just kinda back at square one."

She nodded in understanding. Yes, that was something humans did. They needed careers. They had to plan things. They aspired to have families and children and move up the ranks in whatever career path they chose. They bought homes and cars and planned vacations and retirement plans.

All things, or at least most of them, that a vampire such as herself didn't need to concern herself with. Though her parents had proven that even vampires could have families...

Still, she didn't quite know what to say to that. Jaune had just poured his heart out, and she didn't know how to make it better. Honestly, she knew she _couldn't_ make it better. At the same time, however, maybe it was a good thing that his dream had been crushed. After all, he had admitted to faking his transcripts to get into the academy. He admitted to having little training. He didn't even have Aura, and that was like, super important in being a huntsman! She also reminded herself that had she not been there, Jaune would likely be a very red and a very dead splat on the side of a tree right now.

Feelings were so complicated. Stupid feelings.

"Well, Jaune..." she began, planning to wing some sort of comforting friendship speech. When you really think about it..." her thoughts and words trailed off as she saw a shop up ahead. Tukson's Book Trade. "Comics!"

Jaune eyed her curiously. "Comics?"

"Yeah!" she said, pointing to the store in question. Or more specifically, the sign. "We should go see if that bookstore has any comic books! It'll be my treat."

"I guess we could go check it out," he agreed. A frown crossed his lips a second later. "Wait, how do you even have money? You don't have a job."

"Ah," she said raising a finger thoughtfully. "But I'm a vampire, you see."

Jaune waved his hands in protest. "No. Just no. That can't be your excuse for everything. You can't just say 'I'm a vampire' whenever I ask you about something that's weird."

"But Jaune, being weird is what vampires-"

"No," he cut her off. "Don't even say it. Not another word."

For long seconds the tension was so thick that she could cut it with a knife. Or sink her teeth into it. Or whatever metaphor she wanted to use. A sly smirk began curling on her lips as she knew just what to say in response to her friend's words.

"Vampire."

The frustrated groan Jaune let out made Ruby giggle, a pair of sharp teeth showing in her toothy grin. Her giggle erupted into full-blown laughter, and just like that the unease which had been clouding them faded away. Even Jaune couldn't help but smile, shaking his head softly as the two neared the bookstore.

"You're such a dork," he said lightheartedly.

Maybe. But so was he.

"Come on though, seriously," she said. "I'm buying. Anything you want."

"I guess it couldn't hurt..."

Pulling the door open, the pair stepped inside to a quaint little store that looked nothing at all like those mammoth chain stores that dotted the kingdom. Shelves were positioned haphazardly, seemingly at random. All around them there were very high shelves against the walls also covered with books, and Ruby wondered how someone her height might access them without aid.

She glanced at her tall best friend. He wouldn't have any trouble getting them. Stupid tall Jaune.

"I'll go try to find the comics section," said stupid tall Jaune told her. "First one to find them tells the other?"

Ruby nodded. "Sounds good."

The pair separated, with Jaune going one way and Ruby the other. But Ruby was a crafty vampire, and she had gained much experience through... experiencing things. The simplest way to solve a problem was to be straightforward and direct. She would just go ask the owner where the comics were!

As she neared the big man behind the counter, another thought crossed her mind. Jaune had been so set on being a huntsman. Being a hero. What he didn't realize was that you didn't need to be a huntsman to be a hero. You could do all sorts of good without carrying a big fancy weapon and dressing like a Saturday morning cartoon super hero.

This guy, this 'Tukson', if that _was_ his real name! Maybe he needed help with something. Maybe a pair of do-gooders would be able to make his day. Then Jaune could be the hero and feel good about himself. And he wouldn't regret not getting into Beacon as much.

It was such a perfect plan that Ruby knew that never before had such a perfect plan of perfection been perfectly planned before.

Waltzing up to the counter, the vampire leaned her arms heavily on it, gazing up into the big man's eyes. "'Sup," she greeted coolly.

"Oh, hello there," he replied. It seemed that he hadn't even noticed her approach. That's just how sneaky of a vampire she was. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun. Can I help you find anything?"

"No," she lied, not wanting to bring up the comic books yet. "But do you need help with anything?"

Tukson looked confused. "What?"

"Are you in trouble?"

The man seemed to shuffle nervously. "I... don't know what you're talking about."

Oh this was interesting. _Too_ interesting. Ruby leaned in closer, and her voice became lower. "In over your head?" she asked. "People coming after you? Or maybe your business is in danger of closing down? We can help, you know."

Hazel eyes darted from left to right before the man leaned in closer as well. "Who sent you?" he whispered. "What do you know?"

Ruby knew she had just hit the jackpot. She was about to give Jaune the chance to play the role of hero. Tukson was in some sort of trouble, she could sense it.

"No one sent me. Just call me... well, you can call me Ruby Bloodrose. Problem-solver extraordinaire."

Tukson's face scrunched with confusion, but before he could reply Ruby heard a voice from behind.

"Hey, Ruby," Jaune said. "Check this out. They have the latest S&S expansion here."

The girl whirled around to see Jaune come up to her. Sure enough in his hands he held a big thick Swords and Sorcery book.

"Wait, your clothes... are you... LARPing?" Tukson asked.

Her face scrunched up in anger as she turned back around to address the other man. "No I'm not LARPing!" she protested. "I just wanna know if you need saving!" She spun back to face her friend, leveling a finger in his face. "And you! Since when do you play S&S?"

Jaune frowned. "Since always?"

Ruby exasperatedly threw her hands into the air. "What the! You made fun of me for playing it!"

"Well, yeah. You're fun to make fun of. And technically I made fun of your Mary Sue character."

"Ebony Nightshroud is not a Mary Sue!"

Jaune's eyes guiltily shied away from her own, and the stupid smirk on his face told her that he did not agree with her opinion whatsoever.

She slammed a fist against his chest in anger. "You're a jerk!"

He winced, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes as his body was forced back with the blow. Silver eyes widened, realizing what she had done. Hitting a guy with no Aura with her own enhanced strength.

"Jaune I'm so sorry!" she yelled. "Are you alright?"

The blond nodded, hissing through his bared teeth. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"You know, we've been looking for a couple more people to start an S&S group with," Tukson said. His head craned back to a doorway behind the counter. "Hey, Blake! We might have some people interested for an S&S night!"

How dare he change the subject! Tukson needed saving! She just knew it! Oh this man was a master of deception and interference. Even she had to admit that. He was truly a foe to be reckoned with.

Or at least he would have been had a familiar looking girl not emerged from the backroom. The black bow on her head twitched as golden eyes met silver. "Oh, gods. It's the vampire girl."

"So she was just LARPing..." Tukson said with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah. She's a LARPer," Blake agreed.

"I am not LARPing!" Ruby protested. "And you know what? At least I'm not a porn girl!" she added, pointing accusingly at the dark-haired girl.

She and Tukson exchanged a glance. Blake sighed. "It's not what it sounds like. She must have just seen me reading Ninjas of Love at Beacon."

"Which is filth!"

"Says the girl who got caught making out with her boyfriend not only the night before initiation, but during it too," she countered. "Is that why you failed?"

A twinge of guilt passed through her body. "No, that's not why..." Guilt quickly turned to embarrassment. "And he's not my boyfriend!"

"So he's just some random guy you were making out with?"

"We weren't doing that either! Tell her, Jaune!"

The boy came to stand next to her, the pair standing off against those who stood behind the counter. "Yeah. Can confirm. We weren't kissing that time."

"_That_ time?" Blake asked. "So you've kissed before?"

Ruby and Jaune shared a look. Yeah, they had kissed that one time. But admitting that would do nothing to help out their current predicament. More specifically, being teased by porn girl here.

"Yeah your silence says it all," she added. A heavy sigh shot through her lips, as if having this conversation was taxing for her. "Anyway, you two were interested in joining the group?"

Were they? It would certainly give Jaune something to do for one night a week. He needed things to do now that he wouldn't be attending Beacon. It was at least a start.

"We could give it a shot," she told Blake before looking over to Jaune. "Right?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Ruby pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! This is gonna be awesome!"

"Why does he have bite marks on his neck?"

The vampire looked back to see Blake's finger pointing at Jaune. More specifically the tiny red marks on his neck where Ruby had fed.

Again the two shared a look. And like before, Ruby had an answer on her lips before her mind really considered it. "He tripped and fell down some stairs."

"Uh huh," Blake said, sounding utterly unconvinced. "And what about the hickey?"

Ruby swallowed. It wasn't her fault that she had started sucking on his neck when they fell asleep together at her house! His neck was so warm and yummy and full of blood! It must have been her subconscious mind smelling it!

This was just as much Jaune's fault too. Why wasn't his stupid human skin healing the bruise faster? If this had been her it would have been gone in just a few hours! Was his skin so weak that it couldn't handle her awesome vampire lips?

"Oh, that?" she said innocently. "Vacuum cleaner mishap."

"A vacuum cleaner," Blake deadpanned.

The vampire nodded furiously. "Yup! Dangerous little things. That's why you should always go hardwood floor. Or at the very least laminate or vinyl. But laminate isn't waterproof, so you gotta be careful with it."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Jaune's expression of utter defeat. "Ruby..." he said tiredly. "It's okay."

What was okay? Her explanation was totally believable!

"Just try to make sure you two don't have anymore... vacuum cleaner mishaps during S&S night, okay?" Blake said. "And don't worry, there aren't any stairs to fall down here either."

Yeah she wasn't buying it. It appeared that Tukson utilized skilled apprentices in his line of work. Whatever that work _truly _was...

"Yeah. We'll be fine," Jaune said.

"More than fine!" Ruby agreed vehemently.

"So... yeah. I gotta head back to Beacon now." Blake turned her attention to Tukson. "Thanks for holding these books for me."

The man nodded. "Not a problem."

The aspiring huntress moved past the pair of teens and strode out the front door. Ruby wondered how Jaune felt about encountering her. Would his depression of not getting into the school flare back up?

She glanced at him and saw no real change in demeanor. Rather, he placed the heavy hardback book he held on the store counter.

"We'll take this," he said.

Ruby stared down at the Swords and Sorcery book. He really wanted that instead of comic books? Well, she did say anything he wanted. This was something they could both enjoy as well.

After paying for the book, the pair of teens pushed through the doors and back into the cool night air. It was beautiful out. Just a shame about all the light pollution. Patch didn't suffer from all these nasty dust street lights.

Ruby let out a happy breath, pleased at how things had gone tonight. She hoped that Jaune was feeling a little bit better. Even if he hadn't they had made some real positive strides toward the future.

"Well, that was interesting," the boy said as they walked. Ruby couldn't help but agree. Porn girl, or Blake as Tukson had called her, seemed... nice. "But..."

Ruby frowned as she looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

"I still don't know what I'm going to do now. I don't exactly wanna go home and admit to my family that I'm a total failure and fraud."

Fangs showed as Ruby frowned. She didn't like all that negative talk from him. "You're not a failure, Jaune. You saved my life today, remember?"

"Only because you had to save mine."

While that was true, that fact didn't diminish that fact that he had still been smart and capable enough to save hers. "We saved each other. That makes us even."

He shrugged, not meeting her gaze. "I guess..."

She nodded happily at his concession. "See? You're already well on your way to being a hero."

A bitter, sardonic laugh shot from his mouth. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious! I mean, you don't have to be a huntsman to be a hero, you know. There are people all over Remnant who need help. You can do a lot of good without some big flashy weapon and Aura."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting," she grinned. "That we go around adventuring. Just the two of us! Like a real life S&S party! Camping out, eating bad rations, having to barter with local shopkeeps and inn managers. And who knows who we'll meet along the way? It'll be just like the game, only without rolling dice! We... we can help the helpless and all that good stuff! Fighting evil by moonlight and sleeping in by daylight!"

Why hadn't she thought of this before? It sounded totally awesome! Like she said, one didn't need to be a huntsman in order to fight evil and save the day. Any normal, average person could do that, and Jaune was as normal and average as they came! It made perfect sense!

"That sounds potentially fatal," he commented.

She waved off his concerns with a flick of her hand. "Nah. I'm here, remember? Ruby Bloodrose, vampire prodigy."

"Oh so you're a prodigy now?"

"I might be! We'll never know if we don't go, and that's exactly why you and me need to start adventuring."

"This is going to turn out so well..." he muttered.

Jaune hadn't exactly said no, and that meant he was considering the possibilities. He just needed one more little push in the right direction.

"You can still live your dream," she offered comfortingly. "We could go around helping out all the little villages in Vale and beyond. Save the day. Slay some monsters. Get XP."

"XP?" he questioned. "And wait, by monsters you mean Grimm, right?"

Ruby flashed a toothy grin. "Sure, there'll be Grimm," she agreed. "But... I also meant _monsters._"

"You mean like..."

"Did you really think I'm the only monster in the world, Jaune? Spoiler alert, I'm not. There's a whole world out there the rest of Remnant's forgotten. Or at least tries to deny exists."

The boy shrugged. "I guess that makes sense. A couple weeks ago I didn't even know vampires existed. Then I met you."

"Yup," she agreed happily. "Which was understandably one of the greatest, if not the greatest night of your life."

"Wow, someone's arrogant."

"What girl wouldn't be after making a guy pass out just by putting her lips on his neck?"

"You drank my blood!" he shouted. "You made me pass out from blood loss! That doesn't count!"

"Tomato, tomahto," she waved off. "Anyway, are you in for adventuring?

Ruby could practically see the gears turning in his brain as he pondered the idea. It really was the perfect solution to his troubles. He could still be the hero. He could still have excitement in his life. He could hang out with his friend every day. He didn't have to go back home right away. What more could he ask for?

"I guess we could try," he agreed. Ruby couldn't help but buzz with excitement with his decision. This was going to be so awesome. "But I've still got nowhere to go tonight."

Or did he? An idea came to her mind in a flash. "If you want you could stay at my place."

She noticed how all semblance of joy and confidence slipped from her friend's face. "Y-you mean go back to see your family again?"

"Yup! They liked you a lot." What she failed to include was how her mom especially liked him. Though she had been turned into a vampire herself, that human fangirl inside her still lived. And she lived for human-vampire relationships.

"Well... I guess I did survive the last time..." he said uneasily.

Ruby nodded. "Yup. And don't worry, I won't let Yang eat you."

"Of course. You'll be the only one doing that, right?"

She shot a silver-eyed glare at him. "I'm not inviting you over just so I can drink your blood!"

"I know, I know," he smiled. "But I assume I _am_ on the menu?"

Her gaze fell to the sidewalk. "I mean... only if you want to. If not I'm totally okay with eating with the family..."

A hand on her shoulder made her flinch, and she looked up to see the comforting smile of her friend. "It's okay. I know you have a hard time any other way."

Ruby's non-beating heart felt like it was about to burst. Jaune really was such a good friend. A great friend. The best of friends.

"Okay," she said meekly.

He let go after giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "So, please tell me we're taking an air ship to Patch this time. Or a boat."

"Nah. I'll just carry you like I did the last time. If we're going to be off adventuring we need to save money."

"I thought you said you have money?" He held up the Swords and Sorcery expansion book. "Isn't that how you bought this?"

"I do have money," she confirmed. "But I didn't get all that money by wasting it on frivolous things."

"Public transportation is not frivolous!"

"You'll be fine!" she insisted. "Now that you've gone through it once there should be a lot less screaming."

Jaune stared at her incredulously. "Taking an air ship would mean no screaming."

"But it would mean vomiting. You didn't throw up the last time I carried you."

"That's because I was too busy being terrified!"

"See? It's just like dealing with hiccups. I'll scare that motion sickness right out of you."

"I'd really prefer if you didn't..."

Ruby grabbed hold of his hand and started dragging him toward the closest alley. "Nope! You're getting carried and that's final!"

He wasn't dragging his feet as she pulled him, so that was good! Even if he had been, Jaune wouldn't have been able to resist her far superior strength.

"I guess it's better than going home..." he admitted.

"That's the spirit! Now come on. We gotta get out of sight so I can turn into a bat and carry you to Patch."

There was indeed less screaming this time. That was important. If they were going to be traveling regularly, Jaune needed to learn to be comfortable with Ruby holding him.

In her bat form, that was! It wasn't like she thought back on how they had held each other in their arms all those times before. Because she didn't. And she wouldn't think about it if they just happened to have to share a bed again tonight either. It wasn't her fault that her dad's cabin didn't have a guest bedroom. Jaune shouldn't be complaining either! She was giving him a free place to stay for the night.

If that place just happened to be in her arms again, then so be it!

* * *

**Author's Note: **So concerning the direction of this story. As you probably know, this was originally intended to be a one shot. So I casually dropped the line of Jaune attending Beacon with no thought for the future. Then the idea for a chapter 2 came. After that the ideas kept coming, and I realized that Beacon had already been well established and had to be addressed.

But then as I was reading some of the reviews, I started thinking about it. I didn't want to do a standard Beacon story. I didn't want to just follow the canon timeline, except that Ruby's a vampire. I've done enough school fics already. I wanted something new and different and original. And that's what I hope this story will be. Two dorks going on misguided adventures together all over Remnant. Who knows what characters they'll run into? Who knows how they'll affect the show's timeline? All four kingdoms are fair game for a pair of teens who like playing Remnant's version of Dungeons and Dragons.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that the direction this story is going appeals to you.

As always, thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

It never really occurred to Jaune how much of his life could fit into a single bag.

Looking down at the backpack which rested on Ruby's bed, he recalled all he had stuffed into it. A single change of clothes, with extra underwear and socks of course. Those two items in particular didn't take up too much space and were absolutely essential for long periods on the road. A few personal hygiene items including deodorant, bars of soap and shaving supplies filled out what was needed for the road ahead.

Truth be told he hadn't packed all that much when he had set out for Beacon Academy. He knew the school would provide most of the stuff he needed, and the majority of what he had taken with him were clothes. However, he knew he couldn't afford to haul along a fresh set for every day of the week on his adventure with Ruby. One would have to do until he could do laundry at the next settlement they made it to. That, and liberal applications of deodorant would make sure he was presentable company.

He still couldn't believe he was doing this, but it was a better option than going home. Better than admitting to his parents that he had failed. They had told him that if Beacon didn't work out he was always welcome to come back. He knew he would be greeted with open arms and warm smiles. However, he didn't want those things. He didn't want to go back and admit he had been defeated. No, he wanted to go out on his own and forge his own path like Saphron did. Though he would never admit to his older sister that he aspired to be like her.

Jaune wondered if his travels would ever take him to Argus. What a surprise visit that would be for his sister. He would get to see his new nephew live for the first time as well.

Zipping up his backpack, Jaune looked to the doorway and jumped in surprise. A redheaded vampire, though not the one he was friends with, was standing in the hall.

"Oh, didn't see you there," he remarked with a forced laugh. These vampires were as sneaky and quiet as they came. No wonder he had slept soundly through the night the first time Ruby entered his room.

"Jaune, would you be a dear and help me out with the laundry?" Summer asked sweetly. "Tai hung the clothesline so high, and I'm afraid I'll struggle to reach everything on my own."

It still blew his mind that vampires lived like normal people. Well, almost. The fact that it was late in the evening, and this was like morning to them, was crazy. But it made sense that this was the ideal time to collect the laundry. After all, it wasn't like they could go outside in broad daylight and take the dry clothes down.

"Sure," he said as he let his pack lurch over on the mattress.

Following the woman outside, he saw that there was indeed a clothesline in the backyard. In the darkness it was hard to make out exactly what was on it, and the back porch light did little to aid him other than showing him how big things were and where they hung. The line was indeed high, but not so high that Summer couldn't reach it. Jaune frowned, wondering if there was some ulterior motive in getting him out here alone.

_No, she's not going to eat you,_ his mind argued. _Ruby would be furious. Her mom wouldn't do that._

Still, he couldn't help but glance over at the woman as she worked beside him to remove the clothes and fold them neatly in a laundry basket. Yeah, this definitely wouldn't have been a good idea in the middle of the day.

Speaking of which, a question which he had been pondering for the past day came to the forefront of his mind. "Hey, um, Mrs. Xiao Long?"

"It's Mrs. Rose, actually," she told him. "But please, call me Summer."

Jaune nodded, not needing to be told twice. "Summer. I just have a question."

"What is it?"

"I'm just curious. Why'd you let Ruby go to Beacon if you knew sunlight would be a problem?"

The woman laughed, though it didn't sound like it was out of any actual humor. Jaune hadn't said anything funny, after all. At least nothing he was aware of.

"Because I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to my sweet baby," she replied. A serene smile played on her lips, hiding the fact that underneath it she was a vicious, blood-sucking killer. Looks could be deceiving. Looks could kill.

She wasn't exactly wrong. Jaune had indeed saved Ruby's life, even if it was only because she had saved his. Still, that was a pretty bold gamble to make on a boy who she had only just met. On a boy who had only known Ruby herself for about a week.

"I guess you were right," he admitted.

Her focus returned to the laundry. "You really care for her, don't you?"

"Well, yeah. Of course I do."

"Mmhmm," she said knowingly. "That's exactly why."

The certainty in Summer's voice surprised him. As did her confidence that simply caring for her daughter meant that he would be able to protect her from one of the few things that could kill her. How was she so sure? Did she know something he didn't? Was it some sort of vampiric secret that a mere mortal like himself couldn't comprehend?

"So are you excited to go out with Ruby?"

Jaune almost coughed, but quickly told himself that she didn't mean _that_ kind of going out. He was indeed _going out_ with Ruby, but he was going out adventuring with her. He would respond to her question as such.

"Yeah, it's going to be new and a little intimidating, but exciting. But I know we both have each other's backs, so it's a lot less scary than it would be doing it on my own. Kinda like what I had planned on doing at Beacon before I met Ruby."

"You and her alone on the road. Camping out under the shade in the day. So many new and amazing experiences waiting to be had."

There was a certain sense of wonderment, and dare he say excitement in Summer's tone. Like she was just as excited for them to be going on this journey as they were.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I guess the hardest part might be having to adjust my sleeping schedule to sync with Ruby's."

"Oh? Planning that far ahead already?"

He frowned. "Planning what?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." She pointed past him. "Jaune, could you grab that for me?"

The boy followed her finger to see a small article of clothing on the very end of the line. Something out of her reach, but perfectly within his own. Jaune did as he was told, taking hold of the small, soft, and colorful thing that turned out to be underwear.

They were bright pink with small cartoonish bats dotting the front and back. As he stared down at the thing, it truly dawned on him what they were. Or who they probably belonged to.

"Hey, Jaune," a third voice sounded from inside the house. A glance over showed Ruby emerging from the backdoor. "I'm all packed and ready to go. Are you almost re- what are you doing with my underwear!"

Jaune looked from her back to the soft undergarments in his hands. He felt inclined to drop them, like he had just been caught red-handed stealing something. However doing so would only sully the freshly laundered clothes, and make it necessary to wash them all over again.

"Hello, honey," Summer greeted warmly. "Jaune is just helping me with the laundry."

"Helping you my foot..." the girl grumbled.

"Speaking of which, why are you still wearing these old things? You've been so into lace since you went goth. Maybe it's time to update your wardrobe?"

"I am not goth!" Ruby yelled. Her hand moved in a flash, snatching her unmentionables from Jaune's fingers. "And give me those!"

He was more than happy to comply. Ruby taking the underwear from his hands made it feel as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

However, it appeared Ruby's burden was just beginning.

"Do you need new bras before you go off on your adventure with Jaune? You're a growing girl, and if your sister is any indication you'll be doing a lot of growing in the next year or two."

Jaune saw how a pair of silver eyes widened in complete and utter horror. "Mom! Can you not?"

"Not what?"

"Talk about that sort of thing in front of Jaune!"

"We're just making conversation, dear."

"This is not one of your stupid vampire romance books!"

Summer nonchalantly waved off Ruby's concerns with the flip of her hand. "Oh I'm sure he doesn't mind." The woman focused her attention back on him. "Jaune, does thinking about Ruby's chest make you uncomfortable?"

Jaune didn't know if he had ever been asked such an awkward question so directly in his life. This would have made even Saphron blush furiously.

"I... um..."

Truth be told, he _had_ thought about Ruby's chest before. The first night they met she had grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart to prove that it wasn't beating. Apparently it had been entirely innocent, and thoughts of intimacy had never crossed her mind.

And Summer was saying that Ruby would be... growing soon? Sure, put thoughts like those in the mind of a seventeen year old boy.

"That's it!" Ruby shouted, and with a flash of movement locked her hand onto her friend's wrist. "Come on! We're going back inside!"

As she began to drag him away with her, Summer called after them. "Remember your bedroom door has a lock on it, sweetie!"

The frustrated roar of Ruby was the only reply she received.

With the current thoughts floating in his head, it would have been easy to get the wrong idea when a girl dragged you into her bedroom and threw you down onto the bed. But as Jaune sat there, with Ruby sitting next to him, he knew that things couldn't get anymore un-romantic if he tried.

Ruby must have been utterly mortified by what her mother had just said to her. Jaune had more than his fair share of embarrassing stories with his sisters humiliating him back home or on camping trips. None of them compared to what Ruby had just endured, however.

Wanting to break the silence, and the ice, Jaune decided to speak up. "So... ever notice how the word 'underpants' is funnier than 'underwear'?"

The girl beside him turned to regard him. "Huh?"

"Just say it out loud. Underpants."

Ruby frowned, but complied. "Underpants."

The word hung in the air for a few seconds, and slowly but surely a small smile curled up on her lips. A soft snorted breath later, the smile fully emerged.

"See? Told ya."

She shook her head softly in amusement. "You're such a dork."

"Must be why I keep you around."

A shoulder bump against his own sent Jaune reeling to the side, but he recovered immediately to sit back up straight. Ice, broken.

"So I guess I'm ready," the boy said, slapping the full backpack which still rested on the bed with them. "Or as ready as I'll ever be."

Ruby nodded. "Good. The sooner we can get out of here the better."

After what had just happened he could see why she would say that. He also knew there was no malice behind her mom's words. There was definitely some sort of intent behind them, but he knew that it wasn't anything bad.

Jaune stood, grabbing his stuff from the bed. "I guess this is it."

She followed suit, and a firm nod of her head was accompanied by a confident smile on her lips.

The boy took a deep breath as he set out on the next phase of his life. Journeying the world of Remnant with a vampire by his side.

* * *

It was good to be back in Vale. Away from her family. She loved them, but her mom's unhealthy obsession with vampire romance made her want to cringe!

Ruby took in a deep breath of the warm night air, despite not exactly needing to breathe. It still felt good. It conveyed the emotion she wanted to express right now too. She was drinking it all in. Enjoying the freedom and possibilities of the big city. All right here with her best buddy in the world.

Speaking of her best buddy, Jaune had screamed much less this time around. Maybe he was getting used to being carried a few hundred feet in the air supported by only the tiny clawed feet of her bat form. Sure, she could understand why an average human might find that terrifying, but still! It was her! She wouldn't let anything happen to the boy. Never in a million years would he die on her watch.

Standing shoulder to shoulder as they moved down the sidewalk, Ruby's head was on a swivel as she took in all the sights and sounds of Vale. Despite having been to the continent before, it wasn't every day that she was able to find herself in the middle of the city at night. When the place was alive with bustling activity. People out shopping. Couples on dates.

There sure were a lot of couples on dates. Walking much like she and Jaune were. The only difference was that they walked hand in hand. Or arms wrapped around each other's bodies.

A sharpened fang bit down on the flesh of her lower lip.

"Ruby?"

She jumped slightly from the suddenness of Jaune's voice. She turned her attention to him. "Yeah?"

"So where exactly are we going? I know you said adventure and excitement and all that, but... where do we start?"

A small smile spread on her face. She raised a single finger confidently. "Ah, an excellent question, my young apprentice."

"Apprentice?"

She ignored his question. "The first thing we need to do is shop for any last minute supplies. If we're going adventuring on the road then we need to be properly equipped. We have the basics covered in our backpacks, but we'll need things like sleeping bags, flint to start a fire, and rations for your squishy human self. Oh! And a tent. Definitely need a tent for the sunlight."

Jaune hummed thoughtfully. "Right. A tent because of your sunlight issue. And rations for me, because I'm already carrying yours."

It amazed her how every time he pointed out the fact that he was her food source, she felt just a twinge of guilt about it. "Sorry."

To her surprise he snorted a laugh. "Don't be! Really, I don't mind being your food."

Ruby's thoughts betrayed her. _You don't mind me putting my mouth on your neck and sucking your skin every day?_

Her voice, however, asked a far different question. "Really?"

"I've actually kinda gotten used to it by now. It used to feel weird, like getting stabbed by a couple really big needles. But now... I dunno. It just feels normal."

"Getting stabbed with two pointy teeth feels normal," she echoed, not quite believing that he actually felt so at ease about it. "I don't... freak you out?"

He shrugged. "I mean, it's just a part of who you are. I like you for you. And you wouldn't be you without being the girl who freaked out about drinking my blood and had to spend all day playing video games with me until it got dark out. So when you think about it, the only reason we ever met is because you needed me for food."

The vampire had to look away, lest Jaune see the stupid grin which had formed on her face. The fact that he was so comfortable and accepting of her made her unflowing blood feel like it could pump at any moment.

"Oh," she managed to spit out in response to that heartfelt confession. _It wasn't a confession! Stop thinking like mom would!_

"So doing a little shopping. Sounds like a plan. Where exactly does a person buy flint anyway?"

A frown began to curl its way on her lips. That was actually a good question.

"Um... I dunno. But there'll probably be camping supplies at a big box store, right?"

"Maybe. And if there are I know just what to get. I used to go camping with my family in Mistral every year. I'm kinda what you'd call an expert."

"Really?" she gushed. "That's so cool! So you can like, set up camp? And set traps? And start fires?"

"Well, I don't know about the trap part. But the other two, yeah."

Ruby just felt her chances of succeeding on their quest rise significantly. Not that she wasn't already supremely confident in her vampire skills already, but having an experienced camper with her made her feel good inside. He'd be able to set up camp, pitch a tent, and do all the things he needed to take care of himself.

When she thought about it, Jaune really was a lot more high maintenance than she was. Ruby needed pretty much two things in life. Plenty of blood to drink, and to not be exposed to the sun. Jaune on the other hand needed things like food. Clean water. Climate control. Protection from Grimm. All those pesky human needs. Oh man, he definitely needed to be protected. Well, no matter! Ruby Bloodrose, vampire bodyguard, would protect his soft, vulnerable body from the creatures of Grimm!

"Hey, Ruby?"

She was once again stirred from her thoughts by his voice. "Yeah?"

"So I was just wondering. What happens to your clothes when you become a bat?"

"What?"

"Well, you keep your cloak," he said, pointing to the bright red garment which hung down her back. "Where do the rest go?"

"W-why are you so interested in me without clothes?" she panicked. Her eyes avoided his gaze at all costs. "That's weird, Jaune! Stop being so weird, Jaune!"

"What?" he protested. "I'm not asking about you without clothes! You're the one making it weird!"

"Are you trying to imply that I'm having dirty thoughts about the two of us? Is that what you're implying, Jaune?"

"I'm not implying anything! You're the one saying all this!"

"Well... well good! Because I'm not!"

"Okay, good," he agreed.

"Good! 'Cause... because how would I like it if I asked what you looked like without clothes?" she said, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Huh? It's be pretty weird if I started talking about your big broad chest without clothes!"

"I didn't ask what you looked like without them! I asked what happened to them!"

Ruby once again turned away, her lip pouting and her body trembling with embarrassment. That _had_ been what he asked, hadn't it?

Well, it was too late to go back now. She had to dig in and not admit to her mistake. To defeat. To being the reason why things had suddenly become so awkward.

"Just... just keep your eyes and your dirty thoughts to yourself!" she shouted as they reached the doors of the large superstore. "And for the record, I don't know what happens to them. It's magic."

"Magic?" he questioned. "There's no such thing as magic."

A normal, if not predictable human response. However, Ruby was already one step ahead of him. "Um, you're talking to a vampire," she said, pointing a finger to herself. "I'm pretty much living proof of magic being real."

"You mean unliving proof."

"Whatever! Point is I'm magic."

Jaune snorted. "Wow, someone thinks highly of herself."

She hadn't meant it like that. Still, there was nothing wrong with a little bit of confidence. "You would be too if you were as awesome as me. So yeah, anyway. Magic. There's your answer."

"If anyone has to answer with basically 'a wizard did it', that's no real answer at all."

Ruby threw her arms up in exasperation. "What do you want from me! A freaking diagram?"

"That would be helpful, yes."

Silver eyes narrowed on the boy. "You're such an annoying human, you know that?"

He flashed her a winning smile. "Must be why you keep me around. Reminds you of yourself."

The vampire couldn't help but grin back at him. Like it or not, they did have a lot in common. It was why they got along so well. Why they were able to argue back and forth about nothing and everything, and each time wind up closer to each other as a result. They just clicked. Trying to murder him in his sleep had been the second greatest decision she had ever made in her life.

Not going through with the act had topped it.

The air inside the store was cold and sterile, and Ruby found it appropriate for such a large and impersonal store. Places like this carried everything from food to electronics. Clothes to cleaning supplies. She was certain that there would be a section for outdoors supplies too. And that's where they'd find camping equipment.

However, not knowing where that was, Ruby determined the best course of action would be to split up. She pointed her finger to their right. "Okay, you head that way and I'll go this way," she said as she flipped her hand around. "And the first one to find the camping stuff comes and tells the other."

Jaune nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

The duo split up, each going their separate ways to find what they were looking for. Ruby quickly found herself marred in the clothing section of the store, filled with rack after rack of shirts and pants. Belts, socks, and underwear hung suspended from shelves as she made her way through the section. Or rather, underpants.

Heh, underpants. Jaune was right. That word really did sound better.

Still no sign of outdoor gear, however. Maybe the boy was having better luck over on his side of the store.

Just when she was about to leave the section, something caught her eye. Or rather, a selection of somethings. She was drawn to it like a moth to flame.

Moving slowly to that particular shelf, Ruby quickly found herself standing before them. The fancy, black lace panties stood out from all the others like a beacon. She took a quick peek around to make sure no one was looking before grabbing a pair and holding them up to examine. They were nothing like the colorful stuff she wore now. There were no cartoonish bats adorning them. No bright pink hearts. No, these were the kinds of things that Yang might wear.

Her mother's words rang in her head. _Maybe it's time to update your wardrobe?_

Ruby bit down on her lip once more, enthralled by the undergarments in her hands. They were so mature. So naughty. So s-

"Hey, Ruby," an all too familiar voice said, interrupting her train of thought. "I found the camping stuff."

The redhead jumped, and without thinking stuffed the panties down the front of her shirt in order to hide them from the boy.

Sadly her covert operation did not go how she had planned. "...Ruby? Why did you just stuff underwear down your shirt?"

Did she even know herself why she had done such a thing? "I..."

"Look, I know you're a vampire, but shoplifting is wrong. If you really wanna save money I can buy them for you."

Ruby wasn't sure what was worse. Being caught ogling the naughty underwear, or being accused of shoplifting them. "I wasn't stealing them!" she protested.

"Then why'd you hide them?"

She wasn't about to say it was because she was embarrassed by him seeing her with them. Like... like she wanted to get them to feel more mature.

Again, her mouth began moving before she had an explanation. "Um... well..."

"Look, if this is about what your mom said, don't worry. You'll get there. You don't have to stuff your bra."

"I am _not_ stuffing my bra!" she shouted. "I'm all natural!"

She really needed to work on that whole talking without thinking thing. Because right now she had just screamed at her male best friend about her breasts being all natural in the middle of a store. Never mind the fact that at this time of night it was sparsely populated. The fact of the matter was that she had still just bragged to Jaune about her chest size.

Ruby may not have been able to blush, but Jaune could. And right now she could see how his skin reddened from her comment. How that sweet, juicy, delicious blood must have been pumping hard through his veins...

_Stop it, Ruby!_ her mind screamed. _Now's not the time to get excited!_

Body vibrating with embarrassment, Ruby turned around and tore the undergarment from her corset. Placing it back on the rack, she hesitantly faced the boy again. He was also looking away in what she presumed was his own discomfort.

"A-anyway!" she stated pointedly. "Let's head over to the camping supplies!"

Jaune didn't need to be told twice, and without a word motioned for her to follow him. She did so, and the whole way there said nothing as she tried desperately to brush the earlier awkwardness under the rug. What had she been thinking? Telling the boy she had... dirty thoughts of, about her chest? Who was she, her mom?

Then again her mother had found a weakness for tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed dorks...

Ruby shook her head. _No! Bad! Bad bad bad! I'm not crushing on Jaune!_

As much as she was looking forward to this adventure, she really needed to not think like that about Jaune! About the boy she'd be sleeping with. And not in that way! They'd be sharing a tent together. Definitely didn't need to get all hot and bothered sleeping next to him. Never mind the fact that she didn't generate body heat, it was just an expression!

Stupid human making her think stupid human thoughts. She was above such urges and desires. She was Ruby Bloodrose, a vampire who needed no cuddles!

What she needed was... was that!

Passing by what looked like the hunting gear, conveniently placed with the camping stuff, the sight of a super cool looking hunting crossbow caught her eye.

"Oooh~!" she sang. "What do we have here?"

Jaune stopped in his tracks ahead of her, and turned back to face her. "What are we looking at?"

Ruby walked over to the weapon and picked it up off the rack. It was unloaded, and thus no danger to anyone. "This!" she gushed. "Look at it! It's super cool, right?"

The boy's head tilted in what Ruby guessed was agreement. "I guess. A little primitive though, don't you think? I mean we live in a world of guns and stuff."

"Guns shmuns!" she countered. And it was a brilliant one at that. "There are no guns in S&S, Jaune."

"Aren't there arquebuses?"

"_An-y-way,_" she continued. "This thing is way too cool to pass up. We totally need to get it. No, _you_ need to get it," she said sticking a finger out at him.

"Why exactly do I need a crossbow again?"

"Duh, Jaune! You need a ranged option. A sword and shield is nice and all, but what about when you have to kill something from a distance?"

"Didn't you say we needed to save money?"

She _had_ said that. But it didn't apply here! "Some things are worth more than money."

"Like crossbows?"

"Like crossbows!"

She handed him the weapon so he could examine it himself. Maybe holding it would help convince him that he needed it as well.

"I guess you have a point," he conceded. He held the weapon in both hands, turning it so he could look over every aspect of it. "Could be useful for hunting food too."

Ruby hadn't thought of that, but he was right. Jaune did need food, and having fresh meat on the menu would help keep her travelling companion healthy and strong. But that wasn't her main reasoning in saying that he needed a ranged option.

"Plus all good monster hunters have a crossbow," she added. "They kill monsters super good. Like vamp...ires..."

She had realized what she said after the words left her mouth, and Jaune glanced up at her with a smirk. He raised the crossbow up, aiming it at her. "Like this?"

Despite the fact that it was unloaded, the sight of the crossbow being aimed at her heart still send chills down her spine. She moved faster than he could comprehend, grabbing the weapon and turning it away from her. "Don't even kid around like that!"

The boy's smirk had erupted into a full-blown grin. "Sorry. But you just set that up so well."

Ruby put her angry face on, scrunching her nose and narrowing silver eyes at him. She was super intimidating when she got like this. "Well don't do it again!"

He must have been so scared that that fear manifested in terrified laughter. That was the only reason he was reacting to her as he was. "Yeah, sorry," he repeated. "Won't happen again."

Darn right it won't happen again. One didn't want to get on the bad side of Ruby Bloodrose.

"But you'll definitely need to up your dexterity before you can use it well," she continued, grabbing hold of his arm and squeezing a bicep. "Right now you're all strength and constitution. You probably couldn't hit the broad side of a Goliath with that thing."

"Ruby, this isn't S&S. I can't just level up my dexterity at will."

She hummed. "True. I guess it will require actual training. Luckily on the road we'll have all the time in the world for that."

"Oh joy," he deadpanned. "I can't wait."

Was that sarcasm she detected? Not on her watch! "I know! Acrobatics!"

"What? I'm not-"

"Jaune, do a dodge roll!" she interrupted. "Right now!"

"Ruby, we're in the middle of a-"

"Do a barrel roll!"

In the end no rolls were done, but they did end up purchasing a shiny new crossbow. And in the end, wasn't that all that really mattered?

* * *

The thumping base of music hit her in the chest as soon as she stepped inside, giving the illusion that she still had a heartbeat. It was a strange, but not unwelcome sensation to experience after all this time.

All around her were the colors of black, white and red. The bodies of dancers moved all around, their black silhouettes twisting and turning to the music. Not exactly her scene, despite what her choice of dress might otherwise suggest. Despite the black and red, the corset, the stockings, and the thigh-high boots, Ruby was not a party girl. And she wasn't goth, despite what her mother had said! Clubbing and partying may have been Yang's thing, but Ruby would take a fantasy adventure over that any day.

Apparently it wasn't Jaune's scene either, as he leaned down low to speak in her ear. It was the only way of hearing him over the sound of the music. "Hey, um, Ruby? Not that I don't enjoy dancing and all that, but what exactly are we doing here?"

A valid question indeed! This was merely an appetizer before the main course.

Motioning him to follow her, the two made their way toward the bar. "Let me ask you a question, Jaune. Where do all adventurers go to get information about quests?"

The blond boy's face scrunched in thought for a few seconds. "The Adventurer's Guild?"

Ruby blinked. While that was _technically_ correct in some Mistrali cartoons, it wasn't true here. "Nope," she answered flatly. "The correct answer is the local tavern."

Jaune looked around, and she could tell it was more for show than to take in the sights around him. "The local tavern. This?"

Silver eyes rolled. "I'm working with what I've got here!" she exclaimed. "Vale doesn't exactly have a lot of small local taverns with old, rugged, bearded barkeeps. So we're at the next best place, Junior's club!"

Taking a seat on the stools, she noticed how a large, gruff, bearded man was standing behind the counter. Her eyes lit up with pure joy at the sight of him.

"Whoa..." she whispered in awe. "I think we found ourselves an informant."

It was just like out of a video game. Or an S&S campaign. The local barkeep was always loaded with knowledge pertaining to the goings on around town. This one may not have had an eye patch or a plethora of scars adorning his flesh, but he was a pretty intimidating looking guy.

She knew how this worked. Well, in theory at least. There was no button on a controller to initiate a conversation with the man. She'd just have to do things the old fashioned way.

"Ahem," she said, pretending to clear her throat. Much to her chagrin, the man behind the counter didn't so much as look in her direction.

A fangy frown curled on her lips. Stupid loud music.

"I think you need to be a little louder," Jaune helpfully pointed out.

She was tempted to elbow him in the side, but his limp noodle human self would probably get some ribs broken from her elbow of awesomeness.

"Try coughing."

Coughing? I suppose it couldn't hurt. That'd get the bartender's attention for sure.

Ruby fell into a fake coughing fit, and not only did it get the big man's attention, but the two dark-haired girls who were sitting near them. Twin pairs of piercing emerald eyes gave her a funny look, but she didn't care. Mission accomplished!

"You okay? Need something to drink?"

A drink. A drink! Of course! That was a great way to begin a casual conversation with the bartender. From there she could dig for information. It was the perfect plan.

"Yeah, I'd like that," she confirmed.

The man nodded. "Be right back."

Be right back? She hadn't even ordered! "Wait!"

He turned around, a slight frown on his face. "Yeah?"

"I'd like a menu, please."

The frown deepened, but a small laminated sheet of paper was handed to her. "Aren't you a little young for anything other than water?"

He talked a big game, but actions spoke louder than words. By giving her a menu he clearly had no problem with serving alcohol to minors. He was a sketchy bartender, and that was the best kind! He was sure to know all sorts of things going on around the city that they could help with!

Looking over the list of drinks available, one in particular caught her eye. One that made her mouth salivate far more than the prospect of an alcoholic drink normally would. After all, due to her unique situation she couldn't exactly get drunk.

"I'll have a Bloody Mary," she said happily, handing the menu back over to him.

With a sigh and a shrug, the morally questionable bartender nodded. "Coming up."

Phase one had been a total success. Contact had been established. A customer relationship had been formed. Now as she sat there in front of the man, she would be free to make small talk with him. To ask him questions. As a bartender it was his job to converse with his patrons, after all.

Leaning heavily on the counter, Ruby peered at the man mixing her drink. "So, any rumblings going around town?"

He looked up. "Excuse me?"

"You know. Problems. Trouble. People stirring the pot. Mixing the stew. Whatever you wanna call it. Have you heard any whispering?"

The man stopped his mixing, and instead focused his entire attention on her. "Kid, what in the world are you talking about?"

This wasn't going as well as planned. Maybe she'd have to be a little more direct. "I'm asking about stuff like crime. Strange rumors going around town. Maybe anyone who needs help. Do you know anything?"

Gray eyes kept their focus on her, and they began to look her up and down. A small grunt slipped through his lips. "You're asking a lot of questions, for someone your age. You some Beacon student or something?"

_Almost._ "Nah. Just call me a... concerned citizen. I just wanna be in the know, ya know?"

He grunted again. "If you wanna be in the know then you should watch the news. Don't need to go around hitting up bartenders to know that dust shops have been getting robbed like crazy lately."

Now there was some info she could sink her teeth into. Not literally, since she did actually do that. Specifically on Jaune's neck. Not that she should be thinking about that sort of thing at the moment. She needed to focus on the here and now. And the here and now was all about dust!

"Oh really? Sounds super interesting, mister bartender. Any idea who's behind this string of robberies?"

He resumed making her drink. "Nope."

Ruby frowned. There were ways of loosening a man's tongue. Reaching into one of her many strategically placed pockets, she pulled out a single lien note.

She leaned forward, her short arm barely making it to the man's chest. She slipped the note into one of the pockets on his black vest. "This do anything to jar your memory?"

Looking down at the money she had slipped him, and then back up again, the man shook his head. "No."

The vampire frowned again, and fished the lien out of his pocket. He made no moves to stop her, nor did he even protest losing the sweet cash. "You're new at this," he commented instead.

A twinge of embarrassment washed over Ruby. "Yeah maybe a little. It seems so much easier in movies and games."

A finished red drink was passed her way. "Here's a tip, kid. Don't go looking for trouble. It'll come looking for you, and you don't need anything extra on your plate when it does." He nodded to the drink in front of her. "And there's no take backs on that," he added, referring to her attempted lien trick.

Ruby nodded, and the man turned away, seeming to indicate that their conversation was over. Well that was a bust. But at least she had a nice drink to enjoy. Maybe the fact that it wasn't straight blood would make it easier for her to ingest. Much like what Jaune had done with milk back at his house.

Bringing the glass to her lips, Ruby took a delicate sip, and gagged.

But not for the reason she would have thought.

"What is this!" she spat.

The outburst earned the man's attention again, who turned back to face her. "A virgin Bloody Mary," he said. "Did you really expect me to serve alcohol to a kid?"

"Alcohol shmalcohol!" she argued. "I thought there was going to be some actual blood in here!"

For not the first time tonight, the man was visibly confused. "Blood?"

"Yes! I mean, who names a drink a Bloody Mary and doesn't put any blood in it?"

Another brief moment of silence settled over them before he spoke again. "You are one strange kid."

She didn't need to take that! Taking out a couple more lien notes, she flipped them onto the table. "And keep the change!" Ruby stood, grabbing the up until now silent Jaune by the arm and dragging him from his own seat. "Come on, let's get out of here. This place has been a total bust."

Ruby moved quickly in her anger, and only the long legs of her friend enabled him to keep up with her.

"So life isn't like a video game," Jaune quipped. "Who knew?"

She threw her arms up in exasperation. "I mean, dust robberies? That's so lame! I was hoping for a cool quest. Like... like... The Legend of the Screaming Werebear!"

"The screaming werebear?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she confirmed, shoving open the doors to the clubs and stepping back out into the night. "Get this. Legend has it there's a giant beast of a man covered in hair. He roams the countryside, and on some nights you can he him cursing an ancient wizard who took his sister from him. He swears vengeance against the man, saying that he'll kill his immortal body over and over again. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Wow. Yeah, that sure does sound like an S&S quest. But do you really think we're equipped to beat a werebear? Or... a wizard for that matter?"

Ruby reached up to ruffle his blond locks. "Oh don't you worry your little head about it. You've got Ruby Bloodrose, monster hunter extraordinaire in your party."

"I feel like you're just making up more and more specialties as you go along. Do you actually specialize in any of these things your call yourself?"

"Specialization is my specialty, Jaune."

He laughed. "So you really are a Mary Sue like your character."

That big dummy. How dare he! "Ebony Nightshroud is not a Mary Sue!"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved off. "I guess we won't know until we play the first time. Speaking of... isn't it S&S night tomorrow?"

How could she have forgotten! Ruby had been so caught up in her real life adventuring that she had forgotten about going back to Tukson's place for her fake adventuring!

"You're right!" she exclaimed. "Jaune, we can't take on any quests quite yet! We have to get our campaign started with Blake and Tukson!"

"So what you're saying is that we're lucky that bartender didn't have useful information."

"That's absolutely what I'm saying! And here we were worried about not finding a quest. I'm sure we'll find something. But first we gotta get some S&S in!"

"Works for me," Jaune agreed. "So are we heading back to your place for the night then?"

They could do that. A free room. A free meal. Well, her meal was always free. But there would be something for Jaune to eat there. They _could_ do that. Or... they could truly begin their life on the road, and not go back to Patch. Days would be spent camping in the small tent they had purchased. When motels and inns were available, days would be spent there instead. Why not start now just to get used to it?

"Nah, let's stay in Vale," Ruby suggested instead. "Find a nice cheap little motel to stay at until tomorrow night. Then we'll head over to Tukson's."

"Sounds good. Any places in mind? I know you said we had to save money and all."

That they did. And that meant... a room with a single bed in it. To save money, of course. Not because she hated the thought of not being able to cuddle with her best friend. Nope. It was for purely financial reasons. That was all.

"Yeah," she answered meekly. "I think I know a nice, cozy little place."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Special thanks go out to **infinitedynamics** for the new cover art, as well as **Lightningstrxu** for secretly commissioning it! That was an awesome surprise to wake up to this morning, and I really appreciate them both for it!

Summer Rose is the best wingman. Considering she has no canon personality I have no problem writing her like this for purely comedic reasons.

Adventuring is on the horizon, but first they have to do some fake adventuring! Maybe it'll give them some ideas. Who knows! Speaking of ideas, if anyone has some suggestions on actual dumb little adventures Ruby and Jaune can go on, I'm all ears!

As always thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.


	6. Chapter 6

The broken body of a redheaded girl lay cradled in his comforting arms. Not just any girl, however. The vampire. Never in his wildest dreams would the knight have assumed he would befriend a vampire.

"Jaune..." she croaked weakly. "I don't think I'm gonna make it..."

The blond boy shook his head. "Don't say that. You can pull through this. I believe in you."

She coughed. "No. This is the end for me. I'm sorry for being so reckless..."

"But we have so much more to do!" he insisted. "So many more adventures to go on. Treasures to find. I can't go on without you."

The vampire smiled weakly at him. "I know."

He blinked. "You know?"

"Yeah. I'm kinda the brains behind this whole operation."

Jaune shook his head softly. Eyes narrowed incredulously. "You're about to die and you're still this arrogant?"

"Yes. Now remember me for who I was, Jaune. The coolest vampire you've ever met in your life."

"The only vampire," he corrected.

"Which still counts as the coolest."

"And the least cool."

"I'm about to die!" she squawked indignantly. "Can't you just let me have this in my final moments?"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

"Ruby, just roll the die," Tukson finally spoke.

Jaune looked over to see that their game master appeared to be on the verge of death himself. Ruby's overly dramatic speech had dragged on for far too long, and it was about time they just got it over with.

Blake shared the same glazed over expression as well. She was obviously unimpressed by his friend's attempts at making her impending doom tragic as well.

The redhead nodded lifting a shaky hand. In it held the tool of her fate. A single twenty-sided die. "Okay... here it goes."

She needed a miracle to succeed. A natural twenty. Her odds of survival were five percent, and Jaune held his breath as she shook the plastic piece in her closed hand.

Casting the die onto the table, it rolled around for half a second before coming to a stop. An eight. Ruby was dead.

"Noooooooo!" she moaned, throwing her hands up into the air and slamming her face and entire torso onto the table in front of her.

"And you're dead," Tukson deadpanned.

"You really shouldn't have run ahead of the rest of the party like that," Blake pointed out.

"Thank you, Miss Hindsight!" Ruby snapped, her head coming up from the table to glare at the golden-eyed teen.

"Well that's three hours we'll never get back," Jaune commented.

Ruby turned, leveling an accusatory finger at him. "Not another word from you, our oh so un-valiant knight. You should have been tanking me! You were supposed to be my lover!"

"And you shouldn't have gone off on your own to try and loot that treasure chest," he countered. "We just started this campaign tonight. You're not strong enough to solo enemies yet."

"This only happened because_ you_ made me roll a new character!"

Her ire was directed at Tukson this time. Ruby reached into her backpack and pulled out several sheets of paper which contained the details of her baby, Ebony Nightshroud. A homebrew character so broken and overpowered that it could have been an entry in the dictionary for the phrase 'wish fulfillment'.

The large faunus man frowned. "That's because yours was seriously bro-"

"Ebony Nightshroud is not a Mary Sue!" Ruby cut him off preemptively.

Hazel eyes blinked. "I wasn't going to say that."

"Oh..."

"The reason is because Ebony was way too strong. It wouldn't have been much of a game, and wouldn't have been fair to Blake and Jaune if you ran around with all the abilities and equipment you gave her, rather than things you earned naturally. Her stats looked way too high to be rolled naturally too."

Ruby fell uncomfortably silent. It was unusual for the loudmouth vampire not to have some sort of glib remark or pithy comeback.

Jaune's gaze fell on her. "Ruby? Is that what you did?"

She shuffled nervously under his accusatory eyes. "Um... well..."

The blond boy snorted a laugh. "Yeah. Total Mary Sue."

In a flash he was on the receiving end of her pounding fists attempting to tenderize the meat of his shoulder. Or at least they would have if she had not been intentionally holding back her strength. Jaune knew that she knew that she had the ability to seriously main and injure him with just her natural strength. So when things did get physical between them, and they always did, she always attempted to do little more than lightly tap him. If anything it was just for show.

"You're such a dummy, Jaune!" she wailed, as fists too wailed on his arm.

He couldn't help but laugh. The image of this girl pounding on his arm must have looked comical to the other two people in the room. Tukson thought she was a LARPer, while Blake thought she was little more than a perverted vampire fan girl. Neither knew the truth. Neither knew Ruby could tear them apart with both her fists and her teeth. It was better that way.

"It's late," Blake said, standing up and stretching out her sluggish limbs. Three hours of sitting down playing Swords and Sorcery would do that to a person. "Probably best to call it a night anyway."

There was a certain weariness in Blake's words which told the whole story. She lived on a regular schedule. She had go get back to Beacon in order to wake up for classes in the morning. Unlike himself and Ruby, who lived in the night now. Their day was just beginning.

"I guess we'll just have to start a new campaign," Tukson mused. His eyes fell on Ruby. "One where our players will be more careful with their decisions."

The vampire almost shrank under his accusatory glare. Jaune knew that Tukson wasn't really angry, but he would be kind of annoyed too if he had just wasted three hours being their game master all for nothing.

"Yeah, well, maybe next game Jaune will do his job and protect his lover like a good knight is supposed to," she said, shifting the blame over to him.

Blake finished gathering her things before slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Why _did_ you even decide to ship your characters together?"

It was a good question. After they had rolled them up, Ruby had blurted out the bright idea that part of her and Jaune's characters backstories should be that they were in a relationship. A forbidden one between a human knight and a vampire. One where she fed off of him for sustenance, and he got to indulge in the carnal pleasures of her flesh.

"Yeah, Ruby," Jaune agreed, turning to regard his friend. "Why did we?"

Silver eyes darted back and forth between the teens before settling on staring down at the floor. "I dunno. I thought it'd be fun and add to the complexity of the game. Forbidden love and all that."

If Jaune didn't know any better, he would have thought that would be a line that came from Ruby's mother. Summer, according to Ruby, had an unhealthy obsession with human-vampire romances. She had once been a part of one herself, having been a vampire fan girl who fawned over Taiyang. Eventually he came to love her back, conceiving Ruby with her and turning Summer into a vampire as well.

"Doesn't really work when your character dies a few hours into the campaign," Blake sniped.

Ruby's face scrunched up. "Oh yeah? You're just jealous because you have no ship!"

Jaune winced. This wasn't going well...

"People change," the dark-haired girl stated ominously. Her face had gone blank again. A mask devoid of emotion. "That's the problem."

Oh yeah. This wasn't going well at all. As one of the only rational people in the room, Jaune knew he had to do damage control.

Wait, he was best friends with a vampire who he let feed on him every day. Since when was _that_ rational?

In any case, he had to nip this in the bud. "I have a feeling we're veering really off course here..."

"I smell a dramatic backstory~!" Ruby sang.

And mission failed.

"Just... just forget it," Blame murmured.

"Aw, come on. What's wrong? Guy problems? Girl problems? You can tell me," the vampire stated arrogantly, jabbing a thumb into her chest. "I'll help you or my name isn't Ruby Bloodrose, Relationship Counselor."

Jaune shook his head, eyes staring blankly at his friend. "Really, Ruby? Just... really?"

"What?" she asked innocently. "Relationship problems are easy."

Blake laughed incredulously. "Oh really. Easy. You think it's easy?"

Aaaaand this was exactly where Jaune had not wanted to go. Obviously there was real life drama hidden underneath the surface when it came to Blake. Something involving a relationship. An ex. A bad breakup. Something. It was best not to pry, especially when that person seemed like they were already naturally closed off and private about themselves.

"Obviously you've never been in a real relationship if you think it's easy," Blake continued. "Apparently all you've ever done is kiss random boys," she motioned to Jaune.

Ruby's hands balled up into fists. "I do not! I only kissed one boy once," she said, also motioning to Jaune. "And it was a thank you kiss! Tell her, Jaune!"

What was he supposed to say? That Ruby had kissed him as a thank you for letting her drink his blood? Sure, that would go over great! Blake was already upset. She already thought Ruby was a weirdo. The truth of the situation, even if Blake didn't actually believe that Ruby was a vampire, would undoubtedly only make things worse. It was best to just keep things as vague as possible and leave it at that.

"Um, yeah," he agreed. "Just a thank you kiss."

Ruby nodded emphatically at his words. Blake merely rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm heading out." She turned to Tukson. "Thanks for the game. Hopefully we'll do better next time."

The man grunted something in response.

Meanwhile Ruby had finished gathering up her own belongings, stuffing Ebony Nightshroud's character sheet back in her pack. "Yeah. And me and Jaune have to go too. Real life adventuring awaits!"

It did. Somewhere. Never mind the fact that they had yet to find a solid lead for a good adventure. Sure, dust shop robberies were a thing, but that was best left to the police. They'd probably have to end up leaving the city in order to find anything worthwhile.

"Real life adventuring," Blake echoed. "You really do LARP, don't you?"

"No!" Ruby insisted. "We're going to go and help people! Fight bad guys! Slay monsters! Find treasures!"

"Oh yeah," the other girl said sarcastically. "I bet you're gonna find the hidden treasure of One-eyed Willy one of these days."

Jaune frowned. Ruby on the other hand perked up. "The treasure of One-eyed Willy?"

Blake's gaze remained locked on the vampire, her expression almost one of disappointment. "Yeah, sure. He was a pirate that was all about plundering booty. Legend has it that his treasure is hidden somewhere right here in Vale just waiting to be found."

Silver eyes shone like the precious metal itself. She turned excitedly to Jaune, a smile as wide as he had ever seen on her lips. "Did you hear that, Jaune? Real life treasure! Just like something out of a video game or something!"

For some odd and obvious reason, Jaune had his doubts. "Ruby, I don't think this is an actual legend." His gaze shifted over to Blake. "I think she's just messing with you."

The redhead scoffed, shooting a breath of air indignantly. "Nah. Remnant is full of legends and fairy tales. Magic and monsters. Buried treasure is hardly the most impossible thing in the world."

"Yeah. Totally," Blake agreed halfheartedly.

"I'll even prove it," Ruby continued, producing a scroll from her combat skirt pocket. "My parents have been around for a super long time. I'll ask them if they've ever heard the tale of One-eyed Willy's buried treasure."

Blake's mouth opened once, but no words came out. Blank, almost dead eyes simply stared at Ruby.

"So you can go back to Beacon and do your little huntress thing," Ruby said as she tapped a few icons on the device. "With your fancy weapons and your fancy teams and your fancy learning classes. But me and Jaune? We're about to have a _real_ adventure."

"A real adventure," she repeated. "At night. Looking for One-eyed Willy."

"His treasure," Ruby corrected.

"Of course. His treasure."

Ruby nodded. "Yep!"

With a shake of her head, Blake started to make her way for the door. As soon as she had reached Jaune, however, she reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Jaune, you seem nice," she spoke in a low tone, bringing her lips closer to his ear. "So I'll just tell you this. Never stick it in crazy."

The boy frowned. "Stick what now?"

She peered up at him with an almost sad expression. "You poor, poor boy."

Blake left without saying another word. Ruby meanwhile had placed her scroll to her ear.

* * *

Summer Rose glided across the hardwood floor of her kitchen. A happy tune hummed in her throat as she poured herself a warm and satisfying drink from the coffee pot. Or at least it had been purchased as a coffee pot. However for her and her family's purposes, it held a bright red liquid that gave them all sustenance. Heated to give them a nice warm meal like a regular person might enjoy their real morning coffee.

It was nine in the evening, and that meant it was time for breakfast. Pouring herself a hot cup of blood, she moved silently over to the kitchen table. Both her husband and Yang were still asleep, and Ruby was nowhere in sight. The absence of her youngest daughter saddened her. One of her little birds had left the nest. It was supposed to be a happy moment for the mother, but at the same time it was bittersweet. The sounds of her sweet baby playing were a distant memory now.

But then again, Ruby had run off with a _human_. That thought alone was enough to chase the sadness from Summer's heart and mind. It was as if history was repeating itself. A blond-haired, blue-eyed man with a redheaded, silver-eyed woman. Only this time the roles were reversed. Her precious baby girl was the one who would claim a human for her own. A human who would fall madly in love with her, and they would spend an eternity of bliss in each other's loving embraces.

She felt the sudden urge to go and break out one of her dusty old romance novels. The ones which had led her on the path to Taiyang in the first place...

As she took a sip of her evening drink, the sound of her ringing scroll earned her attention. Reaching over to grab it, she was that it was Ruby herself who was calling her. A smile graced the vampire's lips. Probably just calling to check in and say she was doing okay. Ruby always was such a sweet girl like that.

"Good evening, sweetie," Summer said cheerfully. "How are things with you and Jaune?"

_"Mom, I have an important question for you,"_ the voice of her daughter stated urgently.

The woman sat up in her chair a little straighter, and her brow furrowed as she listened intently into the scroll. "What's the matter?"

_"You've heard of One-eyed Willy, right?"_

Summer's unbeating heart skipped. She had never heard her daughter use such a term before, but she was all too familiar with it. "Where did you hear that term?"

_"So it _is _a thing!" _Ruby exclaimed. Her next words were slightly muffled as she spoke to someone else on the other end of the scroll. _"Hah, told you so!"_ Ruby's attention returned to her mother. _"I heard about it from my friend Blake."_

Blake, huh? Summer wondered who this Blake character was that was filling her innocent daughter's mind with such dirty thoughts and imagery.

She would have to send this person an expensive gift basket as a thank you.

"I see," the mother said, barely-contained excitement in her tone. "So, Ruby. Are you telling me that you're... interested in 'One-eyed Willy' now?" she asked, making sure to keep with the code word that Ruby was using. She didn't want to intimidate her daughter by using more vulgar slang, or even a clinical term.

_"Yeah. I wanted to know if you knew about it. But now that I know you do, do you know where I should go looking for the treasure?"_

"You're looking for the best place to find the... '_treasure'?_" she asked diplomatically, once more reverting to her daughter's own preferred words. "Of One-eyed Willy? With Jaune?"

_"Yes!"_

Her evening blood had been forgotten, and Summer stood up to begin nervously pacing around the kitchen floor. "So you want to know the ideal place to find it," she mused. This was so exciting. Ruby was finally discovering the true joy that came with vampire-human relationships. She couldn't screw this up. "Okay, now stay with me here, sweetie. I know a lot of people say that doing it on the beach is messy and irritating, but-"

_"The beach?" _her daughter interrupted. _"Of course! That makes total sense!"_

"It does?" Summer asked hopefully.

_"Yes! What better place to bury your treasure than on the beach?"_

Jaune was going to... 'bury' his treasure in Ruby? So she was... her precious daughter was...

She was going to go all the way with Jaune tonight!

This was so sudden. So exciting. So...

Summer paced around the room frantically now. Her arms were shaking with excitement and she could barely keep the scroll pressed to her ear. A grandmother! She was going to be the grandmother of an adorable human-vampire baby! This was what unlife was all about! True human-vampire love conquered all!

Still, they couldn't just go at it like wild animals. The mood needed to be properly set first. "Ruby, do you have a bathing suit with you?"

There were few things sexier than a moonlit dip in the ocean on the privacy of an empty beach. Ruby and Jaune would splash and play, him seeing her soft and supple skin, her seeing his hard warrior muscles. But not quite everything, leaving all of their most intimate parts to the imagination, and that would only add to the temptation. It would build the tension slowly until it finally had to be released once and for all!

_"Nope. Why would I- oh right. The beach. If I'm gonna be doing it on the beach I'll probably get wet. Don't wanna ruin my clothes with all the sand either."_

"Exactly. And trust me, you're going to get wet even without a bathing suit."

_"Yeah," _Ruby agreed. "_I bet it's gonna be really hard and sweaty work."_

"Oh it is, sweetie. It is." Summer was grinning from ear to ear. "This is so exciting, Ruby! I'm so happy for you."

_"I know, right? For the first time in my life I'm about to have a real adventure."_

Oh yes. Her first time sure would be an adventure. An adventure as two lovers explored each other's bodies for the first time. Jaune was so big and strong looking that she was sure that Ruby would enjoy every moment of it.

"Okay, so Vale Beach at night. Truth be told, your father and I have been there before, and there's a certain tree which stands out that I think will be the perfect spot to find your... treasure. It's shaped like a pair of legs spread upward. Fitting if you ask me."

_"Really? You've been there before and didn't even bother finding it?"_

"Oh I found it, sweetie," Summer said suggestively. "I found it all right..."

_"Really? What was it like?"_

"Magical, Ruby. Simply magical."

Her daughter gasped. _"Magic? Like a magic sword or something?"_

The older vampire giggled girlishly. This sure brought back memories of her own youth. "Well, I suppose you could call it a magic sword. I must confess, dear. I'm surprised you're so interested in hearing the details about your father and me. Usually you'd try to tune this sort of stuff out as much as possible."

_"Yeah, well, it's about time I found some treasure of my own. It's time I went out and had fun of my own instead of listening to you and dad brag about how you met."_

Summer smiled serenely at the words. Ruby was intent on creating her own magical memories with a boy, rather than hearing about her parents. They grew up so fast. She had to brush happy tears from her eyes before continuing.

"Trust me, sweetie. This is something you'll cherish for the rest of your life. Your long, undead life. With Jaune. Tell me, have you considered asking him about... you know?"

She could practically hear her daughter frown in confusion on the other end. _"About what?"_

She shook her head. "Oh, you haven't. Never mind. We don't want to rush things too quickly now. He'll get there in time."

_"Yeah, sure," _Ruby agreed readily. _"Anyway, thanks, mom. You've been a lot of help tonight. We'll head over to the store to pick up some bathing suits, and then go down to the beach."_

"It's my pleasure, dear." Summer stopped herself, and a pun that would make even Yang giggle came to mind. "Well, it'll be your pleasure soon."

_"Yeah! I can't wait to find the treasure of One-eyed Willy!"_

"Me too, sweetie. Me too."

_"Okay. Love ya, mom. Bye!"_

"I love you too, Ruby."

The call ended, and Summer looked down at her blank scroll. Thoughts of breakfast had long since forgotten. Her whole body was trembling with excitement. Her daughter and Jaune were moving things along much quicker than she had anticipated. They'd only been on the road for a few days and they were ready to take the next step. Just as she and her husband once had.

Her husband. She had to tell him the good news!

"Tai!" she yelled, breaking out into a sprint as she reached the living room. She bounded up the steps to the second floor, still shouting with glee as she neared their bedroom. "Honey, wake up! Ruby and Jaune are going to have sex tonight!"

* * *

After a trip to the local Mallwart, Ruby found herself and Jaune on the beach. A cool ocean breeze sent chills down her already cold flesh. Stupid lack of blood flow. There were times she felt like a reptile when she had to rely on the temperature in order to feel properly warm. But buried treasure would not be denied to her tonight! Cold or not, she was going to get that booty!

A thin red beach tunic offered little protection to her exposed flesh, and there was plenty of that here under the moonlit sky. Remembering her mother's words about her underwear, Ruby ultimately decided that the time was right to ditch the single-piece swim suits in place of a much more mature bikini. She had found something to her liking, a little black number covered in pretty red roses on both the top and bottom. Not just her favorite colors, but with flowers fitting for her last name as well! Her true last name at least.

Casting the thin layer of protection off, the cool air bit into her skin and sent shivers across her flesh. Maybe a little sweaty digging would help warm her up. Taking up a shovel, she turned to her best friend, only to stop before she could open her mouth.

At least, in order to speak.

Ruby's mouth did open, but it was more of a jaw-dropping way as she saw Jaune strip the shirt off his back. Clad in black swim trunks with an orange stripe running up either side of them, the boy, no, the young man, was a sight to behold. She had seen his muscular arms and legs before in his sleepwear, but his bare chest was a new and pleasant sight for the vampire girl. A broad and muscular chest was on display for her in the moonlight. He had wanted to become a huntsman, after all, so it made sense that he was in shape. But she had never expected him to actually... look good. Even in the pale light she could tell that he had a bit of a tan, something she was sorely lacking. Ruby wondered if her friend would find her unnaturally pale flesh to be ugly or gross. She almost wanted to cover up again in order to prevent him from seeing her.

But it was too late as he focused his own vision on her. "So, wanna do it?"

Eyes widened to join her gaping mouth. "N-no! I wasn't thinking that!"

"What are you talking about?" he said, motioning to the shovel. He picked up one of his own. "If we wanna find the treasure we should start digging."

Oh. Yes. The treasure. Doing _that._ And nothing else. Because she wasn't her mom.

"Oh. Right," she said hurriedly. "Yeah. We should... we should do that."

Jaune nodded, and drove his shovel into the sand beneath the tree. It was the only tree within sight, and it matched the description her mom had given her. A thick trunk jutted up from the ground, somehow surviving on the beach sand, before splitting into two separate branches about ten feet up. They spread apart as they went upward, giving the impression that it was indeed an upside down person spreading their legs.

Underneath it is where they would find their treasure. The booty of One-eyed Willy.

Grunts of exertion filled the still air as Jaune and Ruby dug into the sand. Over and over again the scooped up piles of the stuff, tossing it aside. Heavy breaths slipped through their mouths with each exertion, and Ruby could already feel herself building a sweat. A look over to the boy showed the same. In the light of the night's sky she could see a thin layer of sweat glistening on his back. The scent of his manliness filled her nose.

Ruby shook her head. Gah, no! She was not having thoughts like these! Jaune was her friend! Her buddy! Her human! She! Was! Not! Her! Mom! No amount of hot manly sweating would turn her on! Nor would the primal, guttural grunts he uttered every time he drove the head of his... shovel, into the soft, untouched, virgin sand of the-

Ruby lost control of her shovel, and it clattered down onto the beach. She quickly stooped over to retrieve it.

"You all right?" Jaune asked. He stopped his own digging and stared at her.

Yes. He was staring at her. The question was, was he checking her out as she had been earlier?

He wasn't. His eyes were staring into her own. The vampire frowned. Why wasn't he checking her out? Look at that skimpy bikini she was wearing! What man could resist the temptation of drinking her in smooth, flawless flesh? Wasn't she hot enough to be checked out?

Wait, why did she care so much about being checked out by her friend? If anything she should be happy that he wasn't a perverted little human who wanted to stare at her cleavage. ...why did that fact only make him even more appealing? Like a challenge to get him to notice her for her own stupid validation?

"Fine, I'm fine," she quickly said as she resumed her digging.

The two went back to work, and Ruby did her best to cast the dirty thoughts from her mind. She was sure this was Blake's fault. Somehow. Because that perverted little huntress read Ninjas of Love. That knowledge, it had... it had scarred Ruby for life! Yeah, that's right. Didn't Blake know it was irresponsible to introduce people who were younger than her to such filth? Never mind the fact that Ruby was actually older than her, but that wasn't the point! Ruby _looked_ younger than her, and therefore Blake should have been more responsible in her choice of reading in a public setting!

She was stirred from her thoughts when Jaune spoke. "Huh, I found something."

Ruby drove her shovel firmly into the sand to make it stand up straight. "Really? Lemme see!" she said excitedly as she moved to stand next to Jaune.

He reached down into the ground, using his hands to do a little bit of final digging before scooping up what looked to be a glass bottle from the sand. It was empty of any liquids, but there looked to be something stuffed inside of it.

"Message in a bottle?" he asked, peering over to gaze at Ruby. Into her eyes, and nothing below the neckline. Stupid responsible and respectful friend.

Sneak! A! Peek! Already!

"I guess so," she muttered.

Ruby glanced down at her bikini-clad body. Sure, she wasn't as well-endowed as Yang was, but she still had assets! She was a smoking hot babe for sure! Her mother also said that she would likely experience a growth spurt soon. Hence why she needed new bras. Maybe then Jaune would be tempted to check her out.

She shook her head. Ruby still didn't understand why she was suddenly so caught up in this kind of thinking. She was Ruby Bloodrose, a vampire who needed no wandering eyes hungrily checking out her body! However, the fact that a young man at the height of puberty was not impressed by her wearing a bikini was a stinging blow to her pride...

"Ruby, help me get the top off."

Silver eyes widened. The top? _Her_ top? Jaune wanted to... he actually wanted to see her...

"J-Jaune?" she stuttered. "I- I- I had no idea you could be this bold! And forward! This is so completely unlike you!" Her arms came to wrap around her exposed midriff, covering herself bashfully as much as they pushed up her bikini-clad breasts.

It must have taken a little bit of time, but seeing her in a bikini had driven Jaune mad! She knew she had a killer body after all! Not literally of course, since she had never been able to bring herself to kill and eat another human. But figuratively? She was hot! Even if her skin as actually quite cold due to her undeadness.

The ocean sent another cool breeze crashing down on her flesh. Or maybe that was entirely her own body's doing. In any case, maybe Jaune could warm her up tonight with his big, strong arms. Holding her as they kissed for a second time...

"Maybe a good smack to the bottom would help get things loose."

Ruby swallowed hard. Would it? To be truthful Ruby had never thought much about fetishes and kinks. Would... would spanking help get her mind loose? Would it turn her on? Get her in the mood for a little romance with her favorite human?

But most importantly, did she want this? Here and now? Or were these just her own vampire hormones screaming at her after seeing a young man's body for the first time?

Swallowing hard, Ruby tiptoed closer to Jaune, and reached up to place her hands on his strong, bare chest. She leaned closer, gazing up into his own ocean-blue eyes. "Okay, Jaune. I'm here. Now what?"

Jaune was blushing furiously. He was indeed noticing her and reacting properly! She knew it! She knew she had sex appeal! Ruby suddenly felt so much better about herself. She had proven to herself that she could make a boy blush from her femininity.

"Um..." he said nervously. "Now you can give me a hand with this?" he asked, holding up the bottle. "The top's stuck and I can't get it off."

Ruby blinked. Oh. _That_ top...

She pushed herself off Jaune immediately, but with her enhanced strength she succeeded more in shoving him down onto the sand than putting distance between the two of them. Her hands came up to her mouth as she saw her friend crash down onto the beach floor.

"Jaune!" she yelped. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

The blond boy gritted his teeth as he sat up on the sand. "Ow, yeah I think so." He pushed himself back onto his feet a few moments later. "What was all that for? And why'd you push me?"

Oh, sure. Ask her what all that was about. It wasn't that she had been feeling so insecure about her looks that she had jumped on the first chance she got to prove to herself that she was attractive. It wasn't that she had misinterpreted her friend's words, thinking that he wanted to check her out and had actually considered allowing him to do so. Yeah, that would go over well! That wouldn't make things awkward!

"Um, my finger slipped?" she replied, more of a question itself than an answer to his own.

"Right... so anyway. Let's see what's in this bottle."

Ruby nodded, taking what appeared to be an empty beer bottle from the boy. There was indeed some rolled up paper inside. And there was a piece of cork shoved into the top that was too tight to dig out.

Using her enhanced strength, Ruby simply jammed her finger down into it, sending the cork down into the bottle where it clattered around against the glass and paper. She was able to get the paper close to the opening when she turned it upside down, and used her nimble fingers to fish it out of its home. Who knows how long it had been there? Or who it was from? They were about to find out.

Ruby cleared her throat as she unrolled the paper. "'I finally did it'," she read aloud. "'I finally banged him. And it was amazing. You'd think that a vampire wouldn't be able to pop a boner because they don't have flowing blood, but never say that about Tai...'" Ruby's eyes widened once more, this time in horror. "'Because let me tell you, that guy rocked my fucking world. He can plunge his stake into my...'".

She threw the message down as if it was hazardous waste. And in a way it was.

"It's my mom!" she shrieked into the night.

She hadn't read the rest of the note out loud, but she knew what her mom had written. What she had described her father and her doing. Freaking bragging about it like she had just won some sort of prize.

Jaune was quick to pick up the note, and Ruby didn't stop him. She was far too traumatized to even move right now. As it turned out, even out here adventuring with Jaune she couldn't escape from her mom and her weird human-vampire fetish.

That's the reason she had been thinking about Jaune like that earlier! It was her mom's fault! Those weren't her own desires! Of course not! Just her stupid mom's stupid fetish seeping into her brain because she had been exposed to them her whole life! Of course! That made perfect sense!

"Huh. Quite a way with words," said boy commented softly.

Ruby's face buried itself into her hands. "I'm so sorry you had to read that."

"It's... okay. Still in the mood to dig?" he wondered.

Honestly? Not really. Ruby wasn't sure what else was buried here, but if she had found a note from her mom from who knows how many years ago, there was no telling what else they might find. What other filthy, dirty, disgusting things might lie buried here. Things that it would be best if they never saw the light of day again.

"Maybe we should just go back to the motel," she said sadly.

Jaune shrugged, moving to grab one of their shovels. "Fine with me. Could definitely use a shower after working up a sweat."

Ruby nodded. Her gaze turned to the gentle waves crashing on the beach. Sure, they could shower when they got back to their room. Or...

"We could go swimming too," she said, pointing to the ocean. "I mean we're already in our swimwear."

Jaune shrugged lightly. "We could... but it's kind of cold, don't you think?"

True. Her mind wandered back to thinking of how they could warm each other up. Ruby shook her head. Her mom's stupid ideas was slipping back into her head.

Before she could reply, a sudden flash of red and blue lights lit up the darkness. The two friends looked over to see that a police car had pulled up on the road that ran parallel to the beach. A man stepped out of the driver's side door.

"Hey!" he called down to them. "What are you kids doing down there!"

Definitely not finding long lost notes from her mom about having sex with a vampire for the first time. "Looking for One-eyed Willy's treasure!" she called back honestly.

A moment of silence fell over them, and the police officer paused. "How old are you two?"

"Seventeen, sir!" Jaune answered.

Ruby knew she couldn't say her true age. He'd never believe her. "Um, I'm also seventeen!"

"Okay. I see that you're digging a hole. You sure you don't got a dead body you plan on burying there?"

Well, Ruby did have a dead body. Technically an undead body. But no. They weren't planning on burying her.

"No."

"No you're not sure, or no you're not digging a grave?"

"The second one."

The officer nodded. He seemed to believe them. After all, they were just a couple of teenagers. In their bathing suits. Nothing nefarious at all about that.

"Okay. Well anyway, if you're going to be getting intimate I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises. This is a public beach, and like it or not finding... One-eyed Willy is indecent exposure. Got it?"

Ruby's mouth opened. Indecent exposure? "I... um... what?"

"Look, I know that you need some privacy at your age, but you're just going to have to find another place to do it, okay? Or if not I can just call your parents and tell them about what you're doing here."

"My mom already knows what we're doing."

The man again paused briefly. "Really?"

"Yes! She recommended it in the first place. She... she was here with my dad years ago." Her mind recalled what exactly they had done here, and another shiver ran down her spine.

"Look that's a nice story and all, but I'm still going to have to ask you to leave."

It appeared there would be no swimming tonight. Ruby grabbed hold of her discarded covering and shovel. "Fine! I don't know what all your stupid lewd talk about indecent exposure is, but we're leaving!"

Jaune followed after her, carrying his own shovel and his shirt.

"Okay, kids. Have a nice night. And son?" he asked Jaune, earning the boy's attention. "Make sure to use a condom, okay? Teenage pregnancy is an issue that can be avoided with the proper education and preparation."

It was too much. Ruby's mind broke as she and Jaune walked back to their motel. She needed a nice, long shower now to help clear all these stupid perverted thoughts from her mind. First her mom, and now this random cop?

Why was everyone in her life such a pervert!

* * *

**Author's Note: **After receiving several reviews on other stories expressing their desire for me to update this story, I finally know how the Moose **Imyoshi** feels when everyone asks him to update Silver when reviewing his other fics. But in all seriousness I really do appreciate the fact that people want to see more of this one. So here you go!

Ruby may not have found the treasure of One-eyed Willy that night, but she sure did find out a few things about herself. No matter how much she wants to deny them.

With their first real attempt at adventuring being a bust, I think it's time that they got a little more aggressive in their endeavors. Now that they have some time before the next S&S night, they should head outside of the kingdom in search of quests. Where that will take them? Find out in chapter 7!

As always my thanks go out to everyone who supports this story. Silly Lancaster fluff is one of my favorite things to write, and hopefully it wont be as long before I update again.

In any case, I hope you all enjoyed it.


	7. Chapter 7

He would never get used to the feeling of a girl's lips on his flesh.

Jaune lay on his back, Ruby hovering over him as she continued her work on him. Harsh, ragged breaths slipped through his lips in the privacy of their tent. He was glad no one could see something so personal they were doing. How would he answer all the questions that were likely to pop up should they be doing it in public?

_Suck, suck, suck._

"Ruby."

He didn't know how much longer he could last. She was really going at it hard with him.

_Suck, suck, suck._

"Ruby..." His eyes closed and another soft gasp slid past his lips.

She didn't relent, however. Ruby was a _thirsty_ girl.

"I... think I'm at my limit here..." he breathed.

Yet she continued to suck. As if she hadn't had her fill yet. Like she needed just a little more despite his protests.

Jaune's hand drifted up and laid upon her head, giving her red-black hair a gentle squeeze. "Ruby..."

Apparently the touching did the trick, and Ruby tore herself away from Jaune's neck with a satisfied gasp of her own. Like she had just chugged an entire pitcher of lemonade on a hot, summer day.

Not that Ruby would know anything about hot summer days, being a vampire.

Jaune's blood dribbled down her lip and chin, a drop falling down onto his chest before her tongue lapped away the errant fluid. "Ah, that hit the spot," she said with no small trace of satisfaction. "You're the best, Jaune."

The best source of food for his vampiric friend. Still, he knew she kept him around for more reasons than that. He wouldn't have tagged along with her on this adventure had it been otherwise.

With slow and ponderous movements Jaune turned over on his side and began to push himself onto his feet with the air of his hands and knees. Ruby was already up, full an energized from her daily dose of his life fluid. Jaune's knees were wobbly, and he had to use her own body to support himself when he finally stood up. She was more than happy to aid the man who had just given her a free delicious meal.

"Easy for you to say," he groaned. His body felt weaker than usual after her feeding sessions. Maybe he wasn't imagining it and she really had taken a little too much from him. "I feel empty inside."

Concerned silver eyes peered up at him. "Really? But you always seem so happy."

Jaune squinted at the girl, and after a few moments what she was getting at clicked with him. "No, not _that_ kind of empty. The kind that feels like you drained me of all my blood."

Ruby laughed. Leave it to her to find amusement in his plight. "Naaah! I know your limit now. As it turns out, almost killing you had its perks."

He blinked at her in disbelief. Ruby had said those words so genuinely and casual disregard for his safety that he could hardly believe it. Maybe he really was just hallucinating from the lack of blood to his brain. But then again, this was Ruby. A vampire with no filter on that blood-sucking mouth of hers.

"Please never say that again in my presence." He raised a finger to emphasize his request. "Ever."

"I'm serious, Jaune! I'd never want to hurt you again," the vampire said, adding a soft, affectionate nudge to his midsection with her elbow. "So I definitely know how much blood I can take before you pass out."

Jaune stepped outside, grabbing his rolled up sleeping bag as he did. Ruby did the same, and took an unnecessary breath of fresh air as they stood under the night's sky. It was safe to travel. Safe to continue their journey. Night was their morning, and Ruby had just eaten breakfast.

"How thoughtful," he deadpanned.

"I know, right?" she grinned, his sarcasm going completely over her head. Not that it was hard for most things to go over the short girl. "You're my human and it would devastate me to lose you."

"You make me sound like some sort of pet."

"Pfft-nah!" Ruby laughed again. "Animal blood is gross. Trust me. Pig blood? So gross. You're not a pig, Jaune. Don't compare yourself to a pig, Jaune."

The idea of drinking pig blood was somehow less appealing to Jaune than human blood. Maybe it was simply because he had tasted his own blood before when he had cut his fingers on various sharp objects. That had normalized it for the boy. But pig's blood? Any animal blood period?

As he began to deconstruct their tent, the idea was gross enough to cause Jaune to ask her about it. "You've really drank pig blood?"

"Mmhmm!" she nodded happily. She started to lend a hand in folding up their sleeping abode. "The other red blood."

"Is that why you smelled like bacon that one time the sun was sizzling you?"

"Hey!" she protested. "I am not the other white meat!"

"Seems like you need a butcher in your life rather than a human blood bag," he mused. "At least then no one would be in danger."

Ruby's hands drifted to her hips, abandoning their work on the tent as she stared up at him accusingly. "You're not in danger! I said I know your limits!"

"Uh huh."

"And besides, human blood tastes so much better! I'm not gonna find blood as tasty as yours at a butcher's shop."

"What a ringing endorsement. I bet you tell that to all the guys."

Blood-red lips, colored by actual blood, pouted. "There are no other guys! Only you!"

As soon as the words had been uttered Ruby's eyes went wide and she was quick to turn her head away from him. Even from a side view of her face Jaune could see that she looked like some combination of embarrassed and angry. Had he said something wrong?

"Ruby?" he questioned.

"Nothing!" The vampire looked up to the sky. "And shut up, mom!"

Jaune's head was quick to follow, gazing up at the trees which blocked the new night's sky. "Your mom's here?"

Ruby's gaze continued to examine the trees, as if searching each individual branch for signs of life. Or unlife in the case of Summer Rose. "Ya never know. She could be a bat hiding somewhere. Watching. Waiting..."

The ominous tone of Ruby's voice confused Jaune more than put him at unease. Summer was a kind, if not eccentric vampire. While he didn't know her all that well, he had no reason to believe she would try to harm him. Quite the opposite in fact, she seemed to have taken a liking to him. Enough of one to try and set him up with her daughter...

"Oh and watch out for ravens too," Ruby continued.

"Ravens?" Jaune asked. "What, are you going to tell me that werebirds exist or something?"

"Werebirds? Don't be ridiculous, Jaune." She paused momentarily. "I'm just talking about really mean ex-wives."

Somehow that explanation raised more questions than actual werebirds would have. "I don't follow."

"Nor should you!" Ruby insisted. "It's not something worth talking about. Stupid ex-wife birds, coming over and saying mean things about your mom..."

Jaune was really lost now. He had no idea if Ruby was speaking literally or metaphorically. Knowing what he knew about her and her... colorful family, it wouldn't have surprised him if there were actual ex-wife ravens who said mean things to her. However, apparently it was something she didn't feel like discussing.

"If you say so," he wound up saying diplomatically.

"I do say so," she agreed. "And you know what else I say?"

"What's that?"

"Onward to Canton!"

With their tent all packed up, Jaune strapped it along with his sleeping bag onto his back. He felt like a pack mule, but the things weren't too heavy for a boy his size. Better than making a pipsqueak like Ruby carry it too. They were near the settlement of Canton now, and had only needed to stop for the day due to the impending rising sun. It wouldn't have been good for Ruby to be caught out in the daylight, and so had set up camp until the sun went down.

Canton was a small town outside the walls of Vale, home to people who wanted the freedom to live away from bureaucracy of the kingdom's council. It was also, as Ruby had put it, a prime home base for adventuring outside the kingdom. Along with the freedom that came with living outside the city's walls, danger came with it. There would undoubtedly be people in need of a couple adventurers. Villagers needing heroes to save them. All sorts of fun and exciting adventures awaited them, according to the vampire.

"Aaaahh it's gonna be so great!" said vampire insisted as they continued on the dirt road. "We're gonna get to stay at inns and meet blacksmiths, and even tavern wenches!" A finger rose to her lips and her head tilted slightly. "Are tavern wenches still a thing?" she pondered. "Wait, don't answer that. There's only one way to find out."

Jaune couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Dork, spaz, and all around weird girl, Ruby and all her quirks were endearing. "And that is?"

"Go to taverns!"

"Ruby, we're like seventeen. We can't go to taverns yet."

"Speak for yourself," she said arrogantly. "I'm not seventeen."

"My bad. You're like fifteen right?"

Her head whipped around to give Jaune her patented angry face. Which looked more like a puppy who had just been forced to take a bath, if Jaune had to be honest.

"I'm older than you!" she squawked.

"Sure don't act like it..." he muttered.

Ruby leveled a threatening finger at him as they walked. "Okay listen here, mister. One more word and I _will_ hit you."

"But if you're older than me wouldn't that be child abuse?"

"I'm a vampire! Considering I was totally willing to kill you and drink your blood when we first met, do you really think I'd feel bad about hitting you just because you're younger than me?"

"Which again, it really doesn't seem like."

"Well looks can be deceiving!" she insisted.

"Wouldn't it be behavior in this case?"

"Behavior can be deceiving!" she corrected herself.

"Yeah, like the vampire who's afraid to drink blood."

It was apparently the wrong thing to say. As if trying to prove that she was over her phobia of blood, Ruby reached over and bit down on Jaune's arm. Not even to suck out his blood, just... to bite him in retaliation for his words.

"Ow!" Jaune yelped, shaking his arm to dislodge the girl attached to it. But like a tiny red and black shark Ruby remained clamped down on him. "Ruby get off!"

After a few second she complied, and Jaune once more found himself staring down into angry silver eyes which held all the intimidation of a baby seal.

"You bit me!" Jaune shouted in disbelief.

"I bite you every day!"

"Not like this!"

"So? You insulted me!"

"How would you like it if I bit you, Ruby!" He prodded her in the shoulder with a finger. "Huh? Would you like it if I bit you? Would you let me bite you, Ruby?"

"W-what are you implying, Jaune?" she asked nervously, the fervor in her voice gone as quickly as it had come. "That I have a biting kink? Who said I have a biting kink? I sure didn't! Was it Yang? It was Yang, wasn't it? Well Yang's a liar! My kink isn't biting, it's-"

In an instant Ruby clamped her hand over her mouth before she could utter another word. Disappointing, if Jaune was being honest.

"Don't leave me in suspense," he grinned.

"I'm not telling you that!"

He loved it when he was able to catch Ruby on the defensive in their verbal spars. He had just the follow-up too. "Guess I'll just have to ask your mom."

Silver eyes went wide, and Jaune could tell there was very real fear in his vampire friend. "Y-you wouldn't!"

Jaune reached over to her, attempting to fish Ruby's scroll from one of her many pockets. "Come on, let's give her a call right now."

Ruby slapped the offending hand away, and soon enough the whole ordeal had devolved into flurry of flashing hands as the pair of teens swiped and counter-swiped each other's limbs. For Jaune it brought back old and fond memories of him having to fend off his sister's prying hands as they attempted to get them on his beautiful blond hair. Hair they would ravage and pillage until it was bound in short pig tails.

"Get away!" Ruby shouted, her anger betrayed by laughter as she fought Jaune off.

For all her vampiric strength, it was a surprisingly even battle. Jaune may have had superior reach, but had Ruby decided she wanted to she could have easily grabbed hold of his arms and prevented them from reaching for her scroll entirely. Perhaps proof that despite her fierce protests that this was still just a friendly ribbing between close friends.

"Gimmie the scroll, Ruby!" he shouted as he was able to envelop the girl in his arms from behind. "We're calling your mom!"

"No!"

Ruby thrashed and squirmed in his grip, and it felt like Jaune was trying to wrangle a raging bull attempting to throw the rider off its back. By the gods was she strong for her size. Then again her supernatural strength would explain that. It was still surprising that she hadn't-

His thoughts were pushed from his head entirely as Ruby physically pushed herself backwards off the ground with a kick of her feet. Using her superior strength she was able to send both of them tumbling backwards. Jaune lost his footing and was forced to release his hold on Ruby's waist in order to break his fall. She fell with him, and Jaune landed on his back in a crumpled heap with the lithe redhead landing on top of his chest. The breath was forced from his lungs on impact, and by the time he recovered he found himself being straddled by the girl who only seconds ago had been in his grasp.

Ruby pressed down on Jaune's hips, her hands gripping his wrists and pinning them down above his head. Her smug and satisfied smirk filled his vision as silver eyes stared down on him in victory.

"I win," she stated obviously.

Jaune grunted as he attempted to force his hands up from the dirt road, but Ruby's hold on him was absolute. With a heavy sigh his head collapsed back to the ground and he ceased his efforts.

"No fair," he griped. "You've got super strength."

"And don't you forget it!" Her smile faded, replaced by a not too serious pout. "Stupid human thinking he can take my scroll. You leave my mom out of this!"

Jaune forgot why he had planned to call her mom in the first place. However, looking down past his chest and seeing Ruby's position atop him, he could think only a single thought. One he blurted out without hesitation. "I think your mom would like how we look right now though."

Ruby squinted in confusion for a brief moment before she too looked down. Down to see her legs pinning Jaune's hips to the ground, her hands forcing Jaune's arms above his head, and their heads and chests at quite an intimate proximity to one another.

She leapt off him with a squeak. An adorable one at that.

And Ruby had claimed _she_ had won. Score one for the big guy.

Jaune picked himself off the ground and dusted himself off. There was a lot of it after being tackled on to a filthy dirt road. He glanced over to see Ruby doing the same with her black and red skirt, the dirt being more apparent on those colors than his own.

He stretched out his limbs, earning several satisfying pops before slowly circling his neck around to crack it a few times. Playtime was over, and it wouldn't do to be out on the road in total darkness. They were running out of twilight, and they needed to get to Canton soon.

Stepping over to the vampire, Jaune tapped Ruby's shoulder in order to earn her attention. "Shall we continue?"

She peered up at him with silver eyes sharp as steel. "Your fault for holding us up," she pouted.

She wasn't wrong. But then again _she_ had been the one to bite him.

Oh yeah. That's how that all started.

Jaune idly wondered just what her kink was...

"Fine, fine," he admitted, accepting the blame for their distraction. "Let's keep going."

Ruby harrumphed, picking her sleeping bag back up off the ground and strapping it to her back once more.

* * *

Stepping through the gate of the village of Canton, Ruby saw a settlement that was on the verge of sleep. The sun had set, and what might have been a normally bustling little town had only a few people up and about in the streets. It wasn't _that_ late, but in a small place like this there also wasn't likely much to do. It was also a work night, and people had to wake up for their jobs in the morning!

Hah! Losers! That was one good thing about being a vampire. No need for work. Her parents, or at least her dad, had amassed a fortune centuries ago. Good investments paid off when you had a few decades to sit on them.

It left Ruby with free time to do as she pleased, and in this case it was adventuring. One-eyed Willy's treasure may have been a bust, but now they were in store for real adventure. Who knew what they would find travelling outside the walls of Vale? A den of werewolves? A coven of witches? A... horde of zombies? The sky was the limit, and her best buddy would soon see the true extent of the supernatural underworld. However right now there was only one thing she wanted to do.

Live out her S&S roleplaying ways and go find a tavern.

It was customary for taverns in small villages like Canton to also double as an inn. That meant they would have a place to hang their hats at the end of the night, should either of them be obliged to wear a hat. In any case it was nice to have a home base to return to rather than sleeping on the cold, hard ground every night. Ruby may have been immortal, but that didn't stop her back from hurting!

Tugging on Jaune's sleeve, she earned his attention just in time to point out what looked like a promising lead. "Look," she said, pointing over at a nearby wooden sign dangling down from an L-shaped pole. Named 'The Grimm End', the establishment had the words carved into the wood itself in thick letters. "That looks like a tavern."

Jaune hummed thoughtfully. "It definitely has that ominous pun name that bars love to use."

The vampire nodded heartily. "Yup! Let's go there and gather some intel. And book a room in the inn." Ruby snorted. "Heh. In the inn. I'm too funny."

The harsh sigh from the boy next to her indicated that Jaune didn't get it. Stupid human sense of humor. Or lack of sense of humor in his case.

Ruby stepped inside ahead of Jaune, and her silver eyes lit up with barely-contained excitement. It was so cool! Both the floor and walls were made of hardwood giving the tavern a classic rustic feel. Over on the far side of the room a single large hearth contained a blazing inferno of a fire which helped heat the place as well as add light to the sparse dust lamps which dimly illuminated the place. Wooden tables and chairs dotted the whole tavern, and over along one of the long walls was the bar itself where a pair of men stood making drinks.

It was everything Ruby could have hoped for and more. All that was missing were a few shady looking men and maybe a witch hunter, but it was just like any S&S game she'd ever played!

Strolling over to the bar, Ruby hoped that there wouldn't be a repeat of what had happened when she visited that club in Vale. She hoped she would get some juicy info from the men who overheard every little bit of gossip and mischief in town. She hoped-

"You!"

Ruby yelped at the loud, angry, and honestly familiar sounding voice from a few feet away. Turning to its source, she jump back in surprise as she found an all too familiar little woman stomping her way toward her and Jaune.

Clad in a dark blue cocktail dress, Weiss Schnee's face was filled with fury as she stood before the cowering vampire.

"Gah! My rival!" Ruby cried as she moved to put the big, beefy human between her and the pale girl. "She came out of nowhere just like in PokeGrimm and now she wants to battle!"

Weiss' hands drifted up to rest on her hips as she continued to stare past Jaune's chest and into Ruby's eyes. "You two have a lot of nerve showing up here! Have you come to gloat? Rub it in my face? Or are you just looking for new grounds to soil with your sexual escapades!"

Ruby was too petrified by fear to even deny the obvious lie that she and Jaune were intimate in such a manner. Weiss must have been wearing some sort of enchanted item which exuded fear, for it was the only way to explain how the bite-sized heiress could have instilled so much terror in the immortal vampire.

"I- I... I..." Ruby stumbled and mumbled before thankfully Jaune took over.

"Rub what in your face?" he asked.

Weiss' arms shifted to cross in front of her chest, but doing so did little to lessen the tension or hostility in the air. "Thanks to you and your ridiculous antics keeping me up all night I failed initiation!" she yelled. "And to make matters worse, your, your... public displays of lewdness on the forest floor distracted me as well!"

Weiss had failed initiation too? That sucked! Contrary to what the girl was accusing them of, Ruby wasn't about to gloat over such a failure. That would be like the pot calling the kettle black. Or the vampire calling the mosquito a pest.

"We're sorry!" Ruby spat out hurriedly. "We- we didn't mean to! And we weren't-"

"Spare me your apologies," the other girl interrupted, head flicking sideways and ponytail swishing through the air aggressively. Man, that girl had some really long hair. How did she manage it every day? "I don't need your or anybody else's pity."

Ruby wasn't pitying Weiss though. If she and Jaune were actually the reason why Weiss had failed Beacon's initiation then she felt genuinely bad about it. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone. All those... those... public displays of lewdness were just big misunderstandings!

"What brings you out to Canton though?" Jaune asked. Ruby nodded, wondering such a thing herself.

Weiss' arms lowered, and that along with the heavy sigh that slipped through her lips evaporated a lot of the tension in the air. She moved to take a seat on a stool in front of the bar. Ruby and Jaune did the same.

"I... I need the lien," she admitted. There was clear shame in her voice in doing so. "I refuse to return home, and thus I have decided to lend my singing talents to this establishment for nightly entertainment."

It was a lot to take in. There must have been some heavy backstory if Weiss' tone was anything to go by. However, one thing in particular stood out to the vampire.

"Wait a minute. _You're_ the tavern wench?"

And just like that Weiss' anger returned. "Who are you calling a wench!"

Silver eyes went wide as they broke contact from Weiss' own. She glanced over to the boy next to her. "Um... Jaune?"

Whether or not her excuse worked didn't matter, as Weiss sighed once more and gently massaged the bridge of her nose. "I'm not going to let you get to me... I'm not going to let you get to me..." she muttered to herself.

Ruby didn't mean to get to her! She never intended to distract Weiss! Or make her uncomfortable! Or insult her!

"So you sing, huh?" Jaune asked, coming to the rescue once more. Maybe he should be the Bard of the party since he was apparently so good at speaking to people. "That's cool. A nice way to make money doing something you like too."

The compliment seemed to have placated Weiss, who slumped back down into a more easy position on her stool. "Well I didn't have much of a choice," she spoke softly. "I refuse to go back to Atlas."

She knew it was a personal topic, but Ruby couldn't help but be curious after Weiss had broached the subject twice now. "Why's that?"

The girl sighed again. "It's complicated. Without going into too much detail I was faced with two choices. Return home to a life of servitude and expectation, or go out on my own and forge my own destiny. After consulting my sister on the matter I ultimately decided to go out and live life on my own terms. Even if the path is difficult."

It was an admirable aspiration. Much like what she and Jaune were doing, Weiss was going out on her own to make her own way in the world. Ruby was just sorry that she had played a part in it turning out the way it did.

Weiss shook her head, as if trying to cleanse her confession from their collective memories before looking back to Ruby. "And what about you two? What are you doing here of all places?"

"We... kinda failed initiation too," Jaune admitted. Ruby nodded in silent agreement.

The other girl snorted, a neutral expression on her lips as she stared down at the countertop. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It's hard to get accepted into Beacon when you're despoiling the ground of the Emerald Forest rather than completing your objectives."

"We weren't despoiling anything!" Ruby protested. "And quit using your fancy words!"

"Spoken like a true child," Weiss mused. "In any case you didn't answer my question. Why are you _here_? Certainly something's brought you all the way from civilization to the backwater of the kingdom. And unlike myself you don't have a reputation to preserve."

Now there was a question Ruby was eager to answer. Insults and misunderstandings were thrown out the window as she sat up straight and proud on the bar stool. "Me and Jaune are going adventuring," she declared, jabbing a thumb into her chest. "We don't need to be fancy huntsmen to go around having fun and helping people."

A single eyebrow quirked over pale blue eyes. "You two. Adventuring."

Jaune nodded a confirmation. "Yeah. And we figured the local tavern would be the best place to gather information about people who might need help. Missions or quests or whatever you wanna call them."

Ruby added her own eager nod before leaning in closer and lowering her voice. "So tell me, Weiss. What's the latest gossip around town? Any spooky sightings? Terrible tragedies? Catastrophic catastrophes?"

Her words hung in the air as Weiss digested them. Taking a look around her, the heiress leaned in herself to speak in a hushed tone. "To tell you the truth, Canton's in pretty rough shape."

Ruby wouldn't have guessed that from the look of things, but then again they had arrived at night. She didn't know what the town or the people looked like in the revealing daylight.

"Why's that?"

"Dust," the heiress explained. "Over the past few months there's been a string of dust robberies in Vale. Every shop you can think of has been hit. Shipments have been ambushed and their cargo stolen. As a result, dust prices have shot through the roof, and those who are lucky enough to have it aren't exactly in a sharing mood."

It made sense. Supply and demand and all that good stuff. Whoever was snatching all the dust was causing the whole market to crash. And with the way humans depended on the miracle substance, it would cause a whole host of problems.

As if reading Ruby's mind, Weiss continued. "Fuel. Ammunition. It's all becoming scarce, and that's really bad for a poor little border town like Canton. They're having to ration what they've got left, and most of the lien people have is going to pay for overpriced dust from Vale. It's why this place is so dark, and why they're having to rely on a fireplace for a lot of the lighting."

Ruby glanced over at the hearth and the fire. Now that she thought about it, without the fireplace this tavern would have been incredibly dark. Lit by only a handful of dust lamps.

"So I placed a call directly to the Schnee Dust Corporation and requested that an emergency shipment be sent here. Naturally with my connections I was able to have the request approved, and a Bullhead filled with dust is being prepared to come to Vale in a few days."

Ruby never would have expected such a charitable act from what she thought was a mean girl like Weiss. She was genuinely surprised and admirable of the gesture. "Wow. That's really cool of you, Weiss."

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but the vampire saw the faintest sliver of a smile grace Weiss' lips. "It's nothing," she admitted softly. "As the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company it's completely within my power to help these people with a dust crisis. And as a Schnee I have to do something. I have to work hard to repair..." Weiss shook her head once more, cutting herself off before she could finish her thought. "Never mind. The point is that because Canton doesn't have an airfield that the shipment has to land in Vale first. It will then be transported over ground here to Canton. As this was a personal request of mine, the company is not sending an escort for the final leg of the journey. Therefore I will be going to ensure the safe arrival of the dust myself."

Ruby was seriously impressed. Weiss, for all her cold and prickly behavior, was a genuine and kind person. One who was using her own connections to help others in need. This was exactly the kind of thing she and Jaune were looking for. A way to be heroes without needing a stupid little huntsman license.

"We'll help," she blurted out without a second thought.

"Excuse me?" Weiss asked.

"We will?" Jaune questioned.

"Yeah!" Ruby turned to Jaune, a bright smile on her face. "Don't you see, Jaune? This is the day we've been waiting for! This is the day we'll open up the door and say 'we're heroes and we're here to help'."

"I guess," he agreed with a shrug. "Still, being a glorified mailman isn't exactly what I thought we'd be doing when you said we'd go adventuring."

Ruby dismissed his doubts with a flick of her wrist. "Nah, this is perfect. Besides, an escort mission is the perfect ice breaker for a couple low levelers like us. We gotta earn XP, Jaune. And what better way than a simple escort mission?" She turned back around to Weiss, who appeared confused by the other two teens. "What's the reward, Weiss?"

"Reward?" she asked incredulously. "I didn't even ask you to come help me. _You_ invited yourself."

"Hmm. Ah, I see," Ruby mused. "So this is one of those 'charity is its own reward' type missions. That's cool, I can get behind that. Our reward will be making a good name for ourselves and spreading around a positive reputation so that people will hire us in the future."

Weiss blinked. "Right..."

Ruby was seriously pumped up now. The first day in Canton and they already had a quest. She could imagine it right now. She and her party fighting off bandits or Grimm or whatever else decided to assail their precious cargo. With her skills there was no way they could fail!

"Oh!" she gasped suddenly, turning back to Weiss. "What are your skills? What class are you?"

"...class?"

"See, I'm the DPS," Ruby explained. "I'm really fast and strong and can tear enemies apart with my bare hands. Speaking of which is there a blacksmith around town? I should get myself a weapon. Ebony Nightshroud uses a scythe, so I'm thinking I might wanna use a scythe too. It's what my uncle uses after all. It'll be a neat homage to him."

"I'm totally lost here," Weiss sighed.

"And Jaune's a Bard."

"Bard?" the boy questioned. "I thought I'd be a Paladin. Or at least a Knight."

Ruby snorted dismissively. "Nah. You've got a guitar, Jaune. What kind of Knight uses a guitar?"

"I have a sword and shield too," he pointed out.

"But you're also good at talking to people. Sometimes. When you're not putting your foot in your mouth. You put way too many points in charisma and not enough in strength. You just roll really badly sometimes."

"This is seriously the weirdest conversation I've ever heard," Weiss interjected again.

"I don't wanna be a Bard though," he griped.

"Well then hurry up and unlock your Aura!"

"He doesn't have Aura?"

"We're getting way off track here!" Ruby shouted, trying to bring the conversation back to order. "Weiss, what are your skills? Or your Semblance?"

"I..." the girl hesitated, glancing back and forth between Ruby and Jaune before continuing. "My Semblance is one passed down the Schnee line for generations. I use a combination of glyphs and dust in order to perform a number of different abilities. Barriers, springboards, platforms, time dilation, even summoning..."

Silver eyes lit up with excitement as a squeal passed through the vampire's lips. "Oooh! Yes, we need a Mage in the party!"

"A Mage?"

"You're our Mage now, Weiss. Welcome to the team."

"Excuse me? In case you've forgotten, you're joining _me_ on this mission. If anything, I'm the leader."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever. Point is we're a team now! The vampire DPS, the Mage support, and the Bard... the Bard..."

"I don't really have a role, do I?" Jaune sulked.

Ruby frowned. Without his Aura he was just a regular squishy human. One who couldn't fight all that well. But he did have a crossbow...

All the more reason he couldn't be a Knight! How unchivalrous, using a ranged weapon like that!

"You're our ranged class," she said quickly. "You've been practicing with your crossbow, right?"

"Yes?"

"So that's that. I'm close combat. Weiss is support. You're ranged." Ruby leaned in closer to him, bringing her lips to his ear. "And my food," she whispered before pulling back and giving him an exaggerated wink.

Jaune almost appeared to blush at the addition to his role. He shouldn't be embarrassed about it. An army fought on its stomach, and so did Ruby. Being her yummy blood bag was a very important job. But it wasn't the only reason she kept him around, of course. He was her best friend, and she couldn't imagine going on this adventure without him.

"A party that's perfectly balanced," she said with finality. "As all things should be."

Jaune didn't appear all too satisfied with Ruby's explanation, but she was a vampire, not a miracle worker! She couldn't magically turn him into a super strong fighter overnight. Unless she turned him into a vampire, that was. But something inside Ruby told her that Jaune wouldn't really want that...

Her mom sure would, however.

"Well this has been an all too expected strange conversation," Weiss said as she stood up from her seat. "You two will be in Canton for the next couple days, correct?"

Ruby and Jaune both nodded.

"Good. I'll get in touch with you when it's time to head out to Vale. Try... not to get into any trouble around here, okay?"

Trouble? Who did Weiss think she was speaking to? Ruby Bloodrose was a most virtuous vampire, one who had never killed anyone, much less harmed so much as a fly! Sure there was that time she had been prepared to kill Jaune, and nearly had, but the fact was that she _didn't!_ And in the end that was all that mattered.

"We'll be here," Jaune confirmed. "Still need to book a room in the inn."

Ruby snorted. "In the inn."

Jaune rolled his eyes. Weiss gave another confused look. Apparently all humans had the same lame sense of humor.

"In any case, I'm going to retire to my own quarters. Good night."

With that Weiss departed, leaving the two adventurers alone with excitement in their bellies and hope in their hearts. Finally, after all this time, true adventure awaited!

"Come on, Jaune," Ruby urged as she stood, tugging on the boy's sleeve as she did. "Let's get us a room."

They walked over to one of the men behind the counter, who acted as both the barkeep as well as the innkeeper. Ruby lazily rested her arms on the countertop, leaning in to the man.

"We'd like a room," she told him.

The gruff older man looked over the pair before speaking. "One bed or two?"

"T-" Jaune started before being cut off by his companion.

"One, please," Ruby requested cheerfully.

The man nodded before turning to a collection of keys on the wall. He handed it to Ruby. "A hundred lien a night."

The vampire reached into one of her many pockets and produced a single lien note. With the exchange made Ruby turned and left, looking down at the key in her hand which had a number engraved on it. Room three.

Her attention was turned from it to the boy who spoke her name. "Um, Ruby?"

She peered back up to Jaune, noticing a confused expression on his face. "Yeah?"

"Why'd you only get one bed? Am I sleeping on the floor or something?"

"Of course not!" she said, shocked that he would even think of such a thing. "We have to save money is all, remember?"

"I mean, I guess..."

"Aaand, I'm kinda undead, remember?"

"Kinda undead," he agreed.

"So... I don't exactly produce body heat," she admitted uneasily. "And seeing how this place is budgeting its dust, it could get really cold overnight..."

Ruby bit down onto her lip. She didn't exactly want to come out and _say_ it, but she wanted to share a bed with Jaune for more than just monetary reasons...

"Ah," he breathed softly. "Got it."

The girl nodded. He wasn't going to make her say it. That was good.

Ruby Bloodrose may have been a vampire who needed no cuddles, but on some cold nights she _wanted_ them. And who better to give them to her than her human? Her blood bag? Her buddy?

Nights alone on the road could get cold. If Jaune had to become her own personal space heater, then she could think of no one she'd rather share that warmth with.

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's always fun to get back to this story. I love writing banter between Jaune and Ruby here. The plot is basically built around their dialogue rather than the other way around. It's a nice change of pace from normal stories that put silly things like plot first!

So my friend **Lightningstrxu** reminded me that Halloween is coming up, and seeing how that's Ruby's birthday, and she's a vampire in this fic, I should do something special about it. So I'm going to try to get a special Halloween chapter out later this month. It'll be a good one with what I have planned. At least I hope so.

Anyway, thank you all for reading. Let me know what you thought. I hope you all enjoyed it!


	8. Chapter 8

The squeaking of mattress springs was the first thing that greeted Jaune when he woke up. The bed bounced with so much force that he felt as though he was experiencing an earthquake. The source of the disturbance was clear as soon as he had opened his eyes, and saw a pair of bootless, stocking-clad legs jumping up and down beside him.

"Jaune!" his vampire friend shouted with glee. "Jaune!"

It took the boy a few moments to gather this thoughts and formulate words. "Ruby? What's going on?"

The squeaking lessened as Ruby's jumping slowed, and soon it was only the balls of her feet lightly dancing atop the bed. "Guess what today is!"

A hazy mind reached into the recesses of its thoughts to remember the date. "Thursday?"

"Nope!"

He squinted. "Wait, yeah it is. What are you-"

"It's my birthday!" Ruby shouted, the energy in her voice lending itself to her legs once more as she bounced one final, gigantic time before falling backwards onto the bed.

She crashed down next to him, landing flat on her back and sending shockwaves through the whole bed. He really hoped that she hadn't broken anything, but then again with her tiny, slender frame she probably weighed about a hundred and ten pounds max.

After her body settled back down onto the bed and thing stopped shaking, Ruby turned over onto her side to gaze intently into his eyes. "Sooooo?" she asked eagerly.

Jaune was still trying to wake up, but looking into those excited silver eyes, even he knew there was only one thing his friend was expecting from him. "Happy birthday, Ruby."

She beamed with pride and joy, closing her eyes tightly before grinning a toothy, fangy smile. "Aww, thanks, Jaune." Such innocence and genuine happiness was instantly driven from her features when she followed up with a question. "So what'd ya get me?"

Get her? Up until a few seconds ago he hadn't even known that it _was_ her birthday. How could he have gotten her a gift when he didn't even know he should have gotten her one?

"Uhh..."

"You mean you _didn't_ get me anything?" she asked incredulously. A pair of fangs protruded adorably from her lips as she attempted to pout. "You're the worst human ever!"

"Actually I think there's plenty of worse humans than me. Like the ones who committed all the atrocities and started wars and-"

"Nope!" she argued. The vampire leveled a finger at the prone boy, and with as little room as there was on top of the bed, jammed it straight into his stomach. "You, Jaune Arc. Are the worst human in the history of ever. Forgetting my birthday..." she grumbled bitterly.

"But I didn't-" he protested before stopping. A clearer head remembered what the day actually was. "Wait a minute, today's Halloween."

"Oh you remembered that I see," she sniped.

He ignored the comment and continued with his train of thought. "So this isn't actually your birthday," he pondered. "But since it's Halloween and it's the day we celebrate spooky stuff, you just chose it as your birthday. Right?"

Eyes narrowed dangerously, and a cute nose scrunched adorably. "No, Jaune! Today is actually my birthday! The day my mom gave birth to me after getting..." The girl shuddered, a disgusted, guttural sound slipping through her lips. "_Together_ with my dad..."

Ah yes. The infamous message in a bottle. Summer Rose had been so happy and proud of finally having sex with her vampire crush that she had commemorated the experience to paper. Apparently that was the night Ruby was conceived. Jaune felt as though he really didn't need to know all those details.

Life sure had gotten strange since the night a vampire broken into his room and tried to drink his blood.

"So wait. You're a vampire who was born on Halloween?"

"Yes, Jaune." She forced out an exasperated sigh. "Finally you're getting-"

"That's the most cliché thing I've ever heard in my life."

An angry finger stabbed his sternum. "I hate you!"

With vampiric strength Ruby shoved Jaune over the edge of the bed with a single finger, the boy landing on the floor with a dull thud. It hadn't hurt, if anything the jabbing finger had done the most harm to him. Jaune picked himself up off the floor, getting on his knees and peering back over the top of the bed. An impossibly un-intimidating vampire frowned at him with all the anger of a little baby alligator. He didn't have the heart to tell Ruby that her angry face only made her look all the more adorable.

"Good, on your knees like you should be," she commented. "Ready to apologize?"

Actions spoke louder than words, and Jaune pushed himself up and back onto his feet. Silver eyes followed the boy up, and puffed-out cheeks and shaky lips indicated that Ruby was less than pleased by his refusal to give in to her demands.

"Let's go downstairs," he suggested instead. "We- I could grab something to eat, and then we'll get you some breakfast."

Jaune felt it was important for him to eat first before sharing his blood with Ruby. He needed all his strength and nutrients before the bloodsucker drained him of so much of his vital life fluid.

Apparently this plan sat well with Ruby, who rolled over and sat upright on the bed before grabbing her tall black boots. "Sounds good!" she said eagerly.

The blond boy smiled. If there was one way to placate an angry vampire, it was with food. She could hardly stay mad at her willing food source, after all.

The pair emerged from their room on the tavern's second floor, and were immediately hit by a plethora of senses. Delicious smells filled Jaune's nostrils, while the laughter of people and sounds of music playing below them filled his ears. The pair walked down the hall and to the staircase, all the while the sensations becoming stronger as they neared.

When they reached the first floor, Jaune saw that there was a party in full-swing. The tavern was filled with more people than he had seen the previous day, most of them dressed up in some sort of costume for the occasion. Tables of various foods lined the walls, from smoked meats, cheeses, candy, and even a punch bowl. Most patrons still chose to wet their lips with alcohol, however, and the stench of liquor was as pungent as ever.

Next to him, Jaune heard Ruby gasp. A glance over to her showed silver eyes wide with excitement, and her mouth agape with pure joy.

"Jaune, look!" she gasped. "They're having a monster-themed birthday party just for me!"

"Uh, Ruby. Hate to rain on your parade, but I think they're just having a Halloween party."

"Which just so happens to be on my birthday," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Right. So it's pure coincidence."

"Tomato, tomahto," she dismissed. "They're having a party on my birthday. That makes it a birthday party."

If that's what Ruby wanted to believe then he would let her have this. After all, he hadn't gotten anything for her birthday. Wait, why was he suddenly feeling bad about that? He hadn't even known! Was this some sort of vampire voodoo where she could compel him to do what she wanted? Had she _made_ him feel guilty about not getting her a gift? Or was it just his own conscience lamenting hurting a friend?

"We should absolutely be wearing costumes, Jaune," she pointed out. For once he actually agreed with her. They should be celebrating the occasion properly. "I doubt a little town like this has a costume shop, so we should find out where all these people got- oh my gods is that Weiss?"

Ruby pointed over to one of the corners of the room where a small stage was set up, normally for performers or bands to provide live entertainment for the tavern's patrons. And there, sitting atop a stool, was the former prospective huntress and current heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Clad in a seashell bikini top and a long, sparkly, turquoise mermaid tail that covered the entirety of her lower body.

"Come on," Ruby squealed, taking Jaune by the hand and dragging him toward the girl. "We gotta say hi!"

Jaune didn't need to be told twice, and he followed after Ruby as her powerful muscles drove him forward with her.

As they neared Weiss, the white-haired girl spotted their approach and her face instantly fell. She was probably embarrassed enough being on stage in such a getup, but to be seen by a couple of people she thought were weirdos was the unwanted icing on the cake for her.

"Weiss, that's so cool!" Ruby gushed. "Where'd you get it?"

The heiress rolled her eyes, not meeting Ruby's own gaze as she replied. "The owner made me do it," she grumbled.

Yeah, she definitely wasn't having a good time. Ruby apparently missed that little social cue, or simply didn't care. "It's so awesome! It suits you! You're like the mermaid from the fairy tale who sings and wants to live on land!"

"Yes, just what I've always wanted," Weiss said sarcastically. "To be sitting here with my legs bound in this stupid tail and sea life clamped to my chest."

Honestly Jaune was surprised Weiss had gone along with this. Her modest bust may have been entirely covered by the oversized, fake sea shells, but Weiss' slim and toned stomach was on full display for anyone to gawk at. The boy quickly averted his own eyes, lest he stare at it too long and be accused of being a pervert.

"Are there more costumes?" Ruby asked eagerly. "Me and Jaune need to get some!"

Weiss sighed again, and pointed over to the bar counter where the owner was busy serving customers. "There's a box of old costumes behind the counter. Go ask, and I'm sure he'll give you one. All you gotta do is buy a drink and you get to rent the costume for the night."

Jaune felt as though that were a fair exchange. One he could get behind in order to give Ruby a night to remember for her birthday. Apparently she was excited about the whole costume idea. Never mind the fact that she was a true blue vampire herself. She really didn't need a costume, but maybe that wasn't the point. Maybe dressing up and having a good time was all she really wanted on her special day.

"That sounds good," he nodded to the mermaid. "Thanks, Weiss."

Weiss harrumphed, head turning away again before she spoke. "You're welcome," she said quietly.

She really wasn't so bad. A little arrogant. Kind of mean. High expectations. But deep down, a genuine and nice person. The fact that she had called in an emergency dust shipment was proof enough of that. In only a day or two they would be off on their escort mission. Until then, however.

It was time to have some fun.

Jaune walked over to the counter, an excited Ruby practically glued to his hip as she tagged along beside him. She tugged on his arm, earning his attention.

"So, um, Jaune. About the drinking part," she began hesitantly.

He nodded, knowing what she was getting at. "Yeah, I know. They don't exactly serve blood in a place like this."

"Oh but they probably serve _Bloody Mary's_," she groused, remembering the time she had ordered such a drink from the club in downtown Vale. "Stupid false advertising."

Jaune smiled at the memory. At his innocent vampire friend who had mistakenly believed that a human establishment would actually serve a drink made of blood. "It's okay. I got this. I'll get a couple drinks and get costumes for both of us."

Ruby's smile warmed his heart. "Aww, you're the best, Jaune."

Considering that he willingly made himself Ruby's living blood bag, yeah. She was right. He really _was_ the best.

Taking their seats at the bar counter, Ruby flagged down one of the men behind it. "We'd like two costumes, please."

The man nodded, bending down and presumably picking a box up off the floor. He set it on the countertop before looking at them expectantly. "You gotta buy a drink to get a costume," he explained, looking both of them in the eyes. "Got a special on cider today."

Cider? Jaune thought back to the days he would go camping with his family in Anima. On cool nights they'd sometimes enjoy warm cider together around the campfire. He hadn't had any in a while, and he did enjoy the sweet, tangy taste of apple cider.

"Two of those then, please," he requested.

The man nodded, grabbing a pair of glasses before filling them up with light amber liquid. They were set in front of both Ruby and Jaune, and the vampire slid hers across to the boy.

Taking a sip, Jaune winced a little bit. It was a lot stronger than the stuff he was used to, but no less delicious. Ruby meanwhile began digging through the box of old costumes trying to find something she wanted.

"Anything good?" he asked, taking another deep sip from the glass.

Ruby cackled stupidly, pulling out what looked to be a cheap vest and black cape, and set of plastic vampire fangs. "Look what they think vampires look like."

Jaune blinked. Did this girl even realize that she herself wore a cape? Sure it had a hood, but it was a cape all the same...

He reached over and grabbed the fangs, examining them in his fingers. They should definitely be washed first before putting them in. "Would it be racist if I dressed up as a vampire?" he wondered. Another sip. He was nearly done with his first glass of cider.

Ruby meanwhile stopped her digging to give him her full attention. "Nah. It's cool. You have my approval if you wanna be one."

Jaune nodded before pouring back the remainder of his cider. One drink down, one to go.

"But if you insist, here, lemme give you this."

Ruby produced a small piece of cardstock paper and a pen before scribbling something down on it. The tip of her tongue stuck out slightly from the side of her mouth as she finished whatever she was doing.

"Ruby? Where'd you get a pen and paper?" he wondered.

"Vampire."

Jaune was really beginning to get tired of her explanation for everything unusual or impossible she did was because she was a vampire. However at this point he had learned to simply accept it rather than argue.

"Of course," he deadpanned. "How silly of me."

"Yup!" she agreed. "Now, here," she said, giving him the small card she had just written on.

He took it from her. "What's this?"

"It's your M-word pass," she explained. Sure enough, in big letters was written 'M-word pass', followed by her messy signature on the bottom.

"Uh..."

"But only with a soft 'A'," she explained, as though that explanation offered anything of value. "You know, like, 'what up, my monsta?'. That kind of thing."

Jaune stared down at his newly-minted M-word pass. Ruby had apparently just given him her expressly-written permission to dress up as a vampire. Or call himself or others a monsta. How... thoughtful of her.

"Thanks?"

"No problem! Now hurry up and finish that drink. Then we'll head back to the room, get changed, and... well, I can get _me_ some breakfast before we come back down and enjoy the party."

He nodded. It sounded like a fair enough plan. He didn't want to deprive Ruby of her own meal. After all, it was breakfast time for the two of them.

Jaune chugged the entirety of his second glass of cider. He would have normally wanted to savor and enjoy the taste of the drink, but with it being evening already they'd already missed much of a normal human day. The sooner they got into their costumes, and the sooner Ruby got to enjoy her own blood breakfast, the more time they'd be able to spend at the Halloween/birthday party.

* * *

Sweet, delicious blood filled her mouth as she took all she could from Jaune's veins. Seated next to the boy on their bed, one of Ruby's arms wrapped instinctively around his torso to prevent him from escaping. Or in this case, accidentally falling over _just_ in case he passed out due to blood loss.

Not that she would ever let that happen again. Ruby Bloodrose was a careful and cautious vampire. One who would never let any harm come to her favorite human.

Tearing her fangs from Jaune's neck, she gasped a satisfying breath before her tongue darted around to clean her lips. She'd had her fill of warm, yummy human blood. To this day it still amazed her that she could drink from Jaune without getting squeamish.

"Oh man, that was great, Jaune," she smiled before standing up. She felt so vibrant and full of energy now. "You're the best!"

Jaune was a bit slower to get to his feet, wobbling slightly as he stood up. But at least he wasn't falling over. Another successful feeding for Ruby Bloodrose!

"Right," he agreed. "Happy to help."

The vampire beamed a bright smile at him. "Now hurry up and put on your costume! I wanna see what humans think of us!"

Jaune moved over to where he had set his costume down, and grabbed the cheap-looking vest. He slipped it on, followed soon after by the cape. The final piece of the puzzle were the teeth, and she saw how he inserted them into his mouth before finally turning around to face her.

Before her stood her best friend and best human, dressed in a black cape and barring fangs at her.

"I think my heart just beat..." she whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing!" she followed up quickly. "Looks good on you. Looks really good!"

"Thanks."

Ruby nodded emphatically, standing up and almost tripping over herself as she ushered him from the room. "N-now hurry up and leave. I gotta put on my costume."

As he was forced from the room, Jaune turned back to her. "I didn't even see which one you picked."

"It's a surprise! I'll only be a few minutes!"

The boy shrugged. "Sure. I'll be downstairs I guess getting something to eat."

She nodded again. "Yes, yes. Good. See you soon!"

Ruby slammed the door behind him, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, nor did she need to take in her undead state. Turning back over to the bed, she stared down at her own costume.

The roll of bandages inside the box may have looked like mere medical supplies, but Ruby knew better. She knew that this was as cool and hardcore a Halloween costume as she had ever seen. And she was about to knock everyone's socks off with her totally genuine and realistic mummy costume. All she needed to do now was wrap herself up.

Which first required losing her clothes. With Jaune out of the room, Ruby unlaced her corset and tossed it to the side. Her boots and stockings came next, followed by her skirt. The cape was the final piece of her ensemble to go, and the chilly air gave her skin goosebumps as Ruby stood alone in the room clad in nothing but her underwear.

A glance down at the cartoonish black bats on pink panties made her frown. Maybe she should have bought those fancy lace ones when she had the chance...

She shook her head. No matter. Now was the time to mummify herself, not harp on the past! And mummify herself she would.

Grabbing hold of the bandages, Ruby began to slowly wrap her torso, spinning both the roll and her body so that she could get the best coverage. It was dizzying work, and it took several minutes to get herself completely covered. Her arms and legs came next, and for the latter she had to sit herself down on the bed in order to fully extend and cover them. It was good too, because she was feeling very dizzy now. So much so that she stumbled once she stood back up, and had to grab hold of the bed in order to keep from falling over.

"S-stupid costume..." she mumbled to herself as she staggered toward the door. Reaching over and opening it, she stepped out into the hall and closed it behind her.

The trek back downstairs was a long and arduous one, and Ruby nearly fell over more than once before reaching the first floor. There the sights and sounds of _her_ party once more flooded her senses, and she grinned eagerly as she sought to find Jaune.

And there he was, sitting at the bar again, munching on some human food. Being served by a... a _woman!_ A woman who looked _way_ too friendly.

Ruby's eyes narrowed as they focused on the scene before her. "Some older woman's trying to ara ara my human," she snarled. "Well- i-it's _my_ birthday! If any older woman should be talking to Jaune it should be _me!_"

With a clear plan in mind, Ruby made her way across the floor, her bare, bandaged feet beginning to unravel as she approached the bar. She reached out and grabbed the counter in victory, using it to steady herself before plopping down next to Jaune.

"Heeeey," she slurred, smiling happily at the boy next to her. "H-how do I look?"

She saw how Jaune's head moved up and down, taking in the sight of her totally awesome mummy costume. His eyebrows raised, clearly impressed by her awesomeness and dedication. "Wow," was all he could say.

Ruby nodded exaggeratedly. "Yeeeah that's right. Wooooow."

Jaune squinted at her. Before he could say anything, however, the older woman behind the counter spoke. "Can I get you anything, miss?"

Ruby's head snapped over, glaring menacingly at her. "Stay away from my human, you succubus!"

"Actually I'm a-"

"Suuuuuccubusssss!"

The lady frowned before turning back to Jaune. "Just let me know if you want another drink, okay?"

"Sure. Sorry about her."

The woman nodded but didn't say another word before walking off.

Jaune, meanwhile turned his attention back to her. "Ruby? Are you okay?"

The vampire froze, her eyes going wide. "J-Jaune. I can't feel my pulse."

"You don't have a pulse, Ruby."

"Yes I do! You wanna know how I know?"

He squinted at her. "...how?"

Ruby leaned in closer to him, bringing her lips close to Jaune's ear. "'Cause you make my heart go doki doki."

Pulling back out she grinned, proud of herself for being so hilarious. Jaune on the other hand must not have gotten the joke, and only continued to stare at her.

"Ruby? Your weeb is showing."

The vampire gasped, quickly recoiling and covering up her torso with her arms and crossing her legs. "Y-you saw?

Jaune looked as confused as ever. He was such a cute human when he was confused! "That's not what... never mind."

Ruby lowered her arms slowly, glancing down to see that her genuine mummy wrappings were still covering her chest. Stupid Jaune making her panic like that. What a meanie!

But he was a tasty meanie. She'd forgive him... this time.

"Here," she said, grabbing hold of his hand and placing it down on her chest, much like she had the first night they had met. "Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. F-feel it?"

His blue, panic-stricken eyes couldn't meet hers. "I, uh, don't feel anything."

Wait, was he calling her flat? "Rude!" she snapped.

"What? No! I just meant I don't feel your- wait are you... not wearing anything underneath these bandages?"

"Mmmmmm nope!" she said with pride. "Aaaalll natural and genuine mummy costume!"

Jaune tugged his hand away, and Ruby let him go. Stupid human couldn't feel her pulse. What good was he?

She saw how his brow furrowed, and he remained silent for long seconds before his jaw opened slightly. He turned back to her, a look of what appeared to be realization in his eyes. "Wait a minute. Ruby. Are you... drunk?"

Her own eyes narrowed incredulously on him. What a dummy! "No, Jaune!" she said forcefully. "I-I'm a vampire, remember? I'm immune to t-toxins, including alcohol. I can't get _drunk!_"

He shook his head in disagreement. How dare he disagree with her! "Ruby, you're drunk," he stated more firmly this time. "But how?" His vision moved back to an empty glass, what must have been his third glass of cider for the night. "Oh gods..."

The realization in his voice made Ruby giggle. She didn't know what was so funny, but the look on Jaune's face was priceless. "Jaune you're cuuute!"

"This was hard cider," he whispered. "And when you drank my blood..."

He slowly turned to her, the look of concern in his eyes threatening to make her burst into full-blown laughter.

"I think I just made a terrible mistake."

* * *

Jaune had never been drunk before. He had never had much of an interest in drinking period. But...

This was fun!

It had taken a little longer than with Ruby due to his size, but the three pints of hard cider he had consumed had finally started to take effect on the boy.

Sitting beside Ruby at the bar, he found that he didn't really care about the fact that the beverages he had consumed were alcoholic. On the contrary, he thought it was _great!_ What better first experience with alcohol than with his best friend?

He wouldn't partake in the stuff regularly. He wouldn't do it alone. He wouldn't do it to cope with trauma or deal with boredom. But here with Ruby? He was having a blast, and so was she! This was a party, after all. More importantly, it was Ruby's birthday. This was a celebration, not a funeral. Keep 'em coming, tavern wench!

Enjoying his fourth glass of cider, Jaune grinned stupidly as he felt Ruby lean against his side. Her hair smelled like strawberries. He liked strawberries. He liked Ruby too. Ruby was great.

"J-Jaune," said great girl slurred beside him. "You're drink. Drunk," she corrected.

He found her words incredibly amusing for some reason. "N-no," he countered. "_You're_ drunk."

Her hair rubbed against him as she shook her head in disagreement. "No. You."

Jaune gasped, his mouth opening slightly as the greatest idea he'd ever thought came to him. "Ruby. What if we're _both_ drunk?"

The redhead came up to stare into his eyes, childlike wonder and amazement filling those silver orbs. "That's _wild_, Jaune..."

Jaune giggled, bringing his glass to his lips and enjoying more of his happy juice. He felt so carefree right now. The proper mood for a celebration of his vampire friend's birth.

Staring down at what little liquid remained, he couldn't help but suddenly feel a little bit bad. Ruby couldn't enjoy the stuff like he was. She had gotten drunk off of the alcohol in his bloodstream. Maybe... she should get a little more.

"R-Ruby," he asked.

"Yeah?"

"You wanna... you wanna drink some more?" he asked, tilting his head sideways and away from her, exposing his broad neck. "I-it'sss your birthday after all..."

Glazed silver eyes hungrily drank in the sight of his warm, tempting flesh. Ruby's tongue darted out and licked her lips eagerly. "Don't mind if I dooo."

She came closer to him, tilting her head sideways and finding purchase on his skin. There was no pain, however. No penetration. The drunk little vampire merely began to suck on the flesh of Jaune's neck, earning a pleasurable gasp from the boy who could do little to contain the noise from passing through his lips. He didn't even care that Ruby wasn't getting any of his blood. It just felt... good.

"It's nice to see you two have as little shame as ever," a familiar voice sounded.

Jaune felt as Ruby released her hold on his neck, much to his disappointment. A coldness was all that remained once she pulled away, leaving a yearning sensation in the boy's warm flesh.

"Oh, heeey, Weissssss!" Ruby greeted warmly.

The mermaid stood with her arms folded across her chest, covering up much of her exposed skin. How was she even walking in that big fish tail of hers?

"At least you saved public intoxication for once you left Beacon," she commented harshly. "I don't think the faculty would have appreciated this drunken display."

"Weissss," Ruby slurred, before pointing to Jaune's neck. "W-wanna taste?"

Icy blue eyes narrowed, her mouth agape in disbelief as she starred at the other two teens. "Excuse me? You want me to make out with your boyfriend?"

"He-he's not my boyfriend!" the vampire protested.

"It'sss true," Jaune agreed.

"In any case, no, I'm not interested in sucking on his neck." She turned, wasting no more time before walking away.

Ruby shrugged and groaned. "Whatever."

Jaune agreed wholeheartedly, nodding his approval. "Yeah."

"Y-you'd better run!" she called after the fleeing mermaid. "He's _my_ food!"

Weiss didn't reply. She didn't even look back.

Jaune looked back to Ruby, who he found using an arm to prop her head up on the countertop. She stared at him with a huge grin on her face, and happy, eager eyes.

"I could just... eat you up."

"You mean my blood, right?"

She giggled. "Maaaaybe."

He didn't know what else she could have meant, but her laugh was so cute. He laughed with her, not quite knowing what was so funny.

"J-Jaune."

"Yeah?"

"It'sss my birthday."

He felt bad he didn't get her anything now. Poor Ruby. Her special day was ruined because of him. "I'm s-sorry I didn't get you s-something."

"You still can..." she offered suggestively.

"Really?"

She nodded forcefully, before inching closer to him on her stool. "It'sss my birthday," she repeated. "You haaave to kiss me. It's the law..."

The law? He didn't want to break the law. He was probably already doing so by drinking alcohol at his age. Still... the idea of kissing Ruby was kind of appealing right now...

He felt his face grow warmer at the thought. "I-I dunno, Ruby..."

Jaune's warm face was cupped gently by the vampire's hands, and she brought her face up closer to his. He liked the feeling of her touch. It was... nice.

"I like when yer face is all red..." she whispered. There was something in Ruby's eyes he couldn't quite identify, but he liked it. "It makes you really... _really_ attractive for some reason..."

He thought he could guess why. A red face meant more blood in it, right? But before he could voice that idea, he found himself lost in her pretty silver eyes. Her adorable face. Her cute, protruding fangs...

"You're a really pretty girl, Ruby..." he whispered back to her, his word filter gone.

The compliment must have been one of the best she'd ever heard, and Ruby smiled uncontrollably as she drew closer, tilting her head slightly to the right. "Kissss tha birthday girl..."

Well if that was what she wanted for her birthday, who was he to argue?

Jaune tilted his head to meet hers, and their lips met as both teens closed the small gap between them. It wasn't the first time they'd kissed, but it was the first time it was more than just an innocent peck on the lips...

Ruby immediately took control, her hungry lips capturing and dominating Jaune's in her own. A hand came around to grip the back of his hair, holding him in place as her lips moved and took him again and again. It was overwhelming. Forceful. Passionate. He had no idea how long it lasted in his drunken state, but the desire to breathe soon overpowered the immense pleasure he was experiencing in Ruby's embrace, and he was reluctantly forced to tear himself away from the vampire just to catch his breath.

He gasped, sucking in precious oxygen again and again, much to Ruby's amusement. She smiled a toothy grin as she watched him panting. "T-took your breath away, huh?"

That was one way to put it. He nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Wow, Ruby..."

"Best birthday ever," she whispered huskily as she came in again to claim her present.

As her lips claimed his once more, Ruby's tongue slid past his teeth and into his mouth. A brief struggle took place between them, and in the end it was Ruby's tongue which claimed victory over Jaune's. Not that he minded in the slightest. The boy had no experience in kissing like this, but all he knew was that it felt good. It felt right. He wanted more of this. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but he wanted more of Ruby.

One of Jaune's own arms came to wrap around Ruby's torso, feeling the shape of her body beneath the thin wrappings of her mummy costume. She moaned into his mouth under his touch, which only spurred the boy on further the explore both her lips and her slender body. Considering that it was Ruby's birthday, Jaune felt that he himself was getting quite a gift right now.

It only ended when he was once more forced the breathe, a problem that the undead girl didn't have to deal with. Still, the fact that he had broken the kiss once more didn't seem to upset her, as Ruby only continued to smile stupidly at him.

"Happy birthday, birthday girl..." he murmured.

"Jaune... I feel..."

He hummed questioningly when she didn't finish her thought.

"I feel..."

"Ruby?" he asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"Oh gods."

Ruby heaved over, and a small stream of blood poured from her lips as she vomited. A dull splash echoed in Jaune's ears, and his eyes widened in concern as his friend lost her breakfast.

A few dull groans and gasps sounded from those in the immediate vicinity. They'd probably seen drunk people throw up before, and it was nothing new to them. One person in particular, however, shouted in horror.

"Oh my gods!" Weiss yelled, hopping over in her mermaid tail costume. "She threw up blood!"

Oh. Right. That little detail was... lost on them. What Weiss didn't know was that Ruby throwing up blood was a result of her being a vampire rather than a serious medical condition.

Ruby groaned pathetically, and laid her head down on the bar counter even as Weiss approached. The heiress stared at her with wide eyes, her hands reaching out to touch Ruby's shoulders.

"What the- she's not breathing!" Weiss said in a panicked voice. A hand moved to feel the side of Ruby's neck, and blue eyes widened in terror. "She has no pulse! We need a doctor!"

Uh oh. Jaune had to think, and think fast. Never mind the fact that Ruby had once tried to convince Weiss that she actually was a vampire, and that the other girl just didn't believe her. If they called a doctor and got actual medical proof that Ruby was undead... that could cause problems.

Even in his inebriated state, Jaune thought quickly on what to do. "That's... uh... h-her Semblance..." _Brilliant,_ he thought proudly.

"Her _Semblance?_" Weiss asked incredulously.

"Y-yeah," he lied. He placed a hand on Ruby's back and shook her. "Wake up and tell her, Ruby."

"Blaaaauuugh," the drunk vampire whined.

"See? She's fiiiiine," he continued. "Sssshe can play dead. Helps with Grimm?"

A familiar look of utter contempt and disbelief formed on Weiss' face. It was at least better than panic . She shook her head softly, seemingly placated now that Ruby was up and stirring. "No wonder you both failed initiation if _that's_ her Semblance..."

Ruby pushed herself up off the countertop, and seeing how the girl was 'alive' and well, Weiss left. Jaune wondered if anyone was going to clean up her... spill. Hopefully. But right now in his state it didn't seem all that important. Getting Ruby back to bed seemed like the best idea.

Jaune stood on wobbly knees, using the counter to balance himself as he nudged Ruby with a hand. "Come on, Ruby. Let's go back to our room."

"I caaaan't," she wailed.

"R-Ruby. Ruby. We _have_ to."

"B- w-will you carry meeee? I'm a princesssss!"

Whoa. _Was_ she a vampire princess? Jaune didn't know, but he had no reason to believe Ruby would ever lie or exaggerate about something like that.

He nodded, and with a plan in his head, decided to give the birthday girl what she wanted. He pivoted the stool in which Ruby sat, and placing one arm around her back and the other under her legs, scooped her up from her seat and into his arms. Even drunk, Ruby was light enough to carry without stumbling too much.

"Myyyyy prince!" she cooed, burying her face into his neck affectionately.

Jaune smiled as he stumbled through the party before his world went black.

* * *

Ruby awoke with the absolute worst headache. Her entire head throbbed. Her stomach felt queasy. But at least it was warm...

Her eyes burst open, and to her immediate shock found that her arms and legs were completely wrapped around the person who slept at her side. More specifically, her human best friend...

She untangled her limbs from Jaune, and discovered to her horror that she was barely dressed! The mummy wrappings she had so painstakingly applied to herself were tattered and unbound, leaving great expanses of her flesh exposed. She nearly screamed in shock, but controlled herself lest she wake up Jaune for him to see her in such an exposed state.

Slipping out of bed, Ruby rushed to collect her normal clothes from the floor where she had tossed them and went to the bathroom. It took only a couple minutes to undo the rest of her bandages and put her proper clothes on.

Staring at herself in the mirror, Ruby saw red, bloodshot eyes staring back at her. What had happened the night before? How had she and Jaune wound up back in their room?

She glanced down at her left hand.

And how had that gigantic candy ring ended up on her finger?

An enormous piece of hard candy shaped like a gemstone sat atop a plastic ring, which itself was wrapped around Ruby's left ring finger. She didn't have the answer to how or why it was there, but there was one place to start.

Going back into their room, Ruby moved next to Jaune and began to poke at him. The boy shuffled, and as he moved she thankfully saw that he was still clothed underneath the sheets.

"Wha- Ruby?" he asked, his voice as weary as his blinking eyes that were struggling to take in the light in the room. "What's going on?"

The vampire glanced down at his hand, and she saw how one of the candy rings also adorned his left hand. "Jaune, what happened last night?"

He sat up, using the headboard to rest his head as he clutched at the sheet covering his lower body. "I don't remember," he said honestly.

"Why are we wearing these?" she followed up, pointing to the candy ring on her finger.

Jaune glanced down at his own hand, confusion etched on his face. "I... I don't know."

"Well someone has to know!"

"Ruby, calm-"

"How can I be calm when I woke up... up..." She didn't even know how to finish her sentence. How could she tell Jaune that she had woken up barely-clothed and wrapped around him so tightly that she might as well have been his cocoon? Combined with the fact that she couldn't remember anything from the previous night, she had no idea what she might have done with the human.

Jaune threw the covers off himself, and Ruby felt unreasonably relieved to see that he still wore pants. His whole vampire costume from before was still intact. That told her that at least no funny business had gone on between them the night before. She could only imagine what her mother would have said, and Ruby imagined a miniature Summer dancing happily in the air on her shoulder as her mom proclaimed her love for beautiful vampire-human relationships.

"Maybe someone downstairs knows?" the boy suggested as he stood up. "I remember going down to the party before... drinking."

Drinking... that's right. Jaune had drank some of the cider. And Ruby had drank his blood. That could only mean...

"I think the cider must have been-"

"Enchanted!" she finished for him.

"...what?"

"That's the only explanation," she stated confidently. "The cider was enchanted with a memory loss spell which made us both forget what happened last night." Her face darkened, suspicion firmly in her voice. "But who could be the responsible party, and why?"

"I was going to say alcoholic."

Ruby scoffed at his oh so human and naive explanation for their plight. "You've got a lot to learn about vampires, Jaune. We can't get drunk! No, this was clearly magical in nature. But who around here could be that powerful of a wizard to pull off such a trick..." She began sucking on her sweet, delicious Ring Pop while her mind pondered the possibilities.

"Anyway, let's head downstairs. Maybe someone saw something."

She nodded in agreement. "Good idea. We'll get to the bottom of this."

Putting on their boots, the two made their way down to the first floor of the tavern where they found a normal establishment devoid of Halloween decorations and food. Back to business as usual, she supposed. There may have been only a handful of scattered patrons, but there were a few employees.

She made a bee-line for the one who she knew and trusted the best. "Weiss!"

The white-haired girl turned, clad in her normal white-blue bolero and combat skirt. A tired, exasperated face stared back at her, blue eyes rolling in her head. "Yes, Ruby?"

"So, quick question," the vampire asked meekly. She shuffled uncomfortably as she sought the best way to phrase it. "What, um, happened last night?" she asked, holding up the finger with the candy ring on it.

Weiss gave her a deadpan expression. "You don't remember?"

Ruby shared a glance with Jaune, and they both shrugged. "Um... no."

The heiress sighed, giving a slight shake of her head. "Well that's little surprise. You were both extremely drunk."

"Told you," Jaune sniped.

"Enchanted!" Ruby squawked.

"Right..." Weiss said slowly. She pulled her scroll from one of her pockets. "In any case, I suppose I should show you this. You _did_ after all insist that I bear witness to the ceremony..."

"Ceremony?" Jaune asked worriedly.

"Here," she continued, holding the scroll sideways so that both Ruby and Jaune could see it. "This should explain everything."

Pressing the play button, a video of the two drunk teens at the party began to play.

_"Ruby, do you take Jaune to be your husband?"_ the annoyed, monotone voice of Weiss asked the girl in the mummy costume.

_"Jaune's the best human ever!"_ Ruby declared as she stood clinging to his side. _"I dooo!"_

A loud cheer erupted from what Ruby could only assume were the rest of the party's guests.

Weiss' audible sigh was heard in the video. _"And Jaune, do you take Ruby to be your wife?"_

_"Ruby's the best vampire ever!"_ the boy said echoing Ruby's own sentiments. "_I do!"_

Another cheer from the guests. _"I thought she was a mummy!"_ one voice called out.

_"Then by the power vested in me by absolutely no one, and in no legally binding manner whatsoever, you are now husband and wife. You may... ugh. Kiss the bride."_

Ruby watched in horror as she leaned up, and Jaune leaned down, and the two met in what could only be described as the loudest, sloppiest, and passionate kiss she had ever witnessed. For long seconds their lips remained locked, and Ruby's eyes widened witnessing herself making out with her best friend. For a third time the crowd roared with approval.

A glance over at Jaune showed him equally in shock.

The video mercifully ended, and Weiss stuffed her scroll back into her pocket. "Congratulations. You two had a cliché drunken marriage. Just be thankful I'm not a ship captain." She nodded down to their hands. "And that candy rings were the only things we had on hand for you to exchange."

Ruby's hand came up to examine her 'wedding ring'. She nervously began to suck on it once more.

"Anyway, the convoy is due to leave Vale tomorrow," Weiss suddenly said, bringing them back to the quest they had agreed to partake in a few days ago. "Hopefully your hangovers will be gone by tonight. We'll need to get moving quickly if we are to rendezvous with them before they get too far outside the city."

Right. The convoy. The quest. This whole Halloween party had been one big distraction from the real matter at hand...

Weiss left without another word, leaving Ruby and Jaune alone. Uncomfortably alone. Together.

"So..." he said uneasily.

Ruby took the candy ring out of her mouth. "Um..."

"Let's not tell your mom about this?" he suggested.

That was the smartest thing she'd heard all day. "Yeah. Right."

"Maybe we should... get ready for the quest. Oh! I'll go out to town and buy some supplies. You'll have to stay there though, seeing how he's daytime."

That sounded just fine to Ruby, and she nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Sounds good."

"Fantastic! I'll be back later!"

Jaune quickly hurried from the tavern and went outside. Ruby meanwhile moved to a place at the bar which seemed oddly familiar and took a seat.

She stared down at her Ring Pop, the one which had been given to her by Jaune during their faux-wedding ceremony. Her tongue ran over her lips, surely just to clean any access candy residue which remained there from her having tasted it.

Her and Jaune. Married. At least it wasn't a real wedding!

At least...

It wasn't a real wedding...

Ruby frowned, her eyes unable to leave the candy which sat on her ring finger.

Why'd she feel a little disappointed?

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know it's not Halloween yet, and releasing this next week may have made a bit more sense, but I was very eager and excited to write this chapter. It was so much fun to do, and took pretty much zero effort as the ideas kept flowing. So... happy early Halloween?

What will this new development mean for Jaune and Ruby's relationship? Did their drunkenness only bring their hidden feelings to the surface? And who cleaned up Ruby's bloody vomit? Who knows! But I think it's safe to say that both may start looking at one another in a new light from now on, even if they outwardly blame what happened to them on the alcohol.

This is also probably the closest thing you'll ever get from me resembling a drunken marriage fic.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I sure did. Let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

The day had finally come. Or rather, the night.

Jaune patted down his body, checking and then double-checking to make sure he had everything that he needed and that all of his gear was secure. Two belts around his waist? Check. Crocea Mors? At his left him. A brand new crossbow Ruby had insisted on him purchasing? Packed up and good to go.

The addition of a ranged weapon was new, and had never crossed his mind when he had planned on being a huntsman. However with it he felt like a real-life adventurer. As it turned out, that was what he was now. He was like a true S&S monster hunter. Never mind that the only monster here was-

"Jaune!" said monster shouted as she burst in through the door of their room at the inn. "Are you ready yet?"

The boy looked up and smiled. Standing in the doorway was his friend, traveling companion, and now, his faux wife after a drunken ceremony officiated by Weiss Schnee. The shock and awkwardness had worn off over the course of the day, and Jaune was thankful for that. The last thing he wanted was for things to be weird between him and his dorky vampire buddy.

"Yeah," he confirmed, moving toward the door. "Ready."

"Excellent," Ruby grinned, hefting a brand new weapon of her own. "Adventure awaits, and I can't wait to try out my new baby."

The weapon was big and awkward, kind of like himself. When the sun had started to set Ruby had ventured out to the local blacksmith in search of a weapon of her own. After all, an adventurer going on a quest needed a weapon. Ruby had wound up choosing one that was taller than herself, but with her enhanced strength she would have no problem wielding it.

Stepping out of the tavern, the full moon illuminated the town. Enough so to see a certain heiress standing there with her arms folded across her chest and tapping her foot impatiently on the ground.

"Well it's about time," she complained, a hand moving onto her hip to grasp the handle of what appeared to be a long, thin sword. "The convoy has left Vale, and we are to meet up with it on the road between Vale and Canton with all possible speed."

"Yeah, sorry about Jaune," Ruby said, making Jaune feel bad about being the one to hold them up. "He's like a big girl with how long it takes him to get ready to go out."

And all those bad feelings immediately turned from himself onto Ruby. "Maybe we could have left earlier if someone wasn't allergic to sunlight," he countered.

Ruby whirled around, and her puffed cheeks of anger on her face held all the fury of a hamster hoarding food in its mouth. "You shouldn't insult someone who's itching to test out their new weapon!"

"Not only that, but fair skin is no laughing matter," Weiss added. She approached Ruby, putting a surprisingly compassionate hand on the other girl's cloaked shoulder. "I too know the burden of having beautiful pale skin that burns all too easily. And for Jaune to…" she trailed off as her ice-cold gaze fell upon him. "Tease you for it in such a harsh manner, is the pinnacle of rudeness."

Two angry gazes were upon him, and Jaune suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he realized that the wrath of both girls were moments away from falling on him.

The moment of panic was broken almost immediately when Ruby stuck her tongue out at him mockingly and grinned. "Ha ha!" she exclaimed. "Weiss likes me more than you-ou!"

"Let's not get carried away now," Weiss said with sudden and familiar disdain as her hand removed itself from Ruby's shoulder. "In fact, we should get moving. The road to Vale is long, and it will take the better part of the night in order to rendezvous with the convoy."

Jaune and Ruby shared both a glance and a nod before falling in line behind Weiss. The trio moved down the main street of Canton until they reached the gated entrance. And then, back into the wilderness which Jaune and Ruby had traversed to get here.

Weiss took point, leading the way as Ruby was still playing around with her brand new scythe. A long blade sat atop a collapsible shaft of metal, which could be folded down for easier carrying. It was no mere farming tool as the thing had once been designed for. This was a weapon to be wielded by skilled huntsmen against the creatures of Grimm. While simple, it held a certain elegance about it which made it seem far more impressive than just a curved blade on a shaft.

As they moved Ruby hefted the thing in both hands, swinging it in smooth cuts and arcs. "Waaa!" she whispered as she sliced it through the night air. "Swish swoosh! Wa-sha, shi-shi-sha!"

As Jaune watched and listened to the girl having the time of her life he couldn't help but smile. He had no idea how old Ruby truly was, but she had a sense of child-like wonder about her that he couldn't help but feel was charming. She was a dork through and through, and it was one of the many things he loved about her.

Blue eyes suddenly went wide at the thought. _Love her as a friend,_ his mind clarified. _Not… not like what we saw in that video._

The sights and sounds of him sloppily making out with Ruby were etched in his mind, and part of his unconscious mind couldn't help but remember the soft feeling of her body as he held her. As his tongue wrestled with hers for dominance. As his hand found a place in her beautiful red-black hair, and hers did the same to his long golden locks.

"Do you mind?" Weiss' voice suddenly said, cutting through the air as sharp as Ruby's scythe.

The heiress had turned around, and her gaze focused on Ruby who was having the time of her life with her weapon. Ruby brought the thing down, holding it in both hands as she looked back at Weiss. "What? I'm just practicing."

"Can you practice without the sound effects?"

"But Weiss, I have to visualize the scene in my mind!" Ruby argued. "And that includes the sounds of the scythe, the sounds I'd make while swinging it, and the sounds of the dying Grimm that I cut through!"

"You haven't made any Grimm sounds though," Jaune pointed out.

Ruby hummed thoughtfully. "Good point, Jaune. Quick, what's your best dying Beowolf impression?"

The boy blinked. "Uh…"

"That's not good enough. You sound less like a dying Beowolf and more like a confused Ursa. Come on, put your throat into it!"

"Enough!" Weiss snapped. "Just… enough." She pointed a finger at Ruby. "No more sound effects." She immediately switched to Jaune. "And don't you even think about imitating a Beowolf!"

"I can honestly say I wasn't going to," he replied.

"Jaune if you're not going to give it a hundred percent we'll never make it work!" Ruby insisted. "We have to do everything we can to make up for your lack of Aura!"

Weiss stopped suddenly in her tracks, and in doing so Jaune bumped into her back. Thankfully he hadn't been moving fast enough to knock her from her feet, and she whirled around with wide icy-blue eyes.

"Sorry," Jaune said hurriedly.

"I'm sorry, what did she just say?" the girl questioned like a teacher who'd just heard a student utter a curse word.

"Uh…"

"Bad Ursa impression!" Ruby squawked.

"Did she just say you _didn't_ have Aura?"

Jaune suddenly felt very small under the small girl's intense gaze. Like she wasn't a good foot shorter than him. Weiss Schnee had a stare which could slay Grimm like she was some sort of mythical Gorgon.

"I, well…"

"You mean to tell me," Weiss continued, poking his breastplate with a finger. "That you seriously planned on attending Beacon Academy without having Aura?"

He'd been over this once before with Ruby. He'd felt like a fool then, but under Weiss' scrutinizing glare and harsh tone, he felt like an utter moron.

"In my defense, I didn't know Aura was a thing back then?"

Weiss' hands flew into the air. "How! That's even worse!"

Truth be told Jaune had no excuses. He knew that he was a fool. A fool with a dream. It was strange how logic seemed to fly out the window when you were passionate about something.

"Just… just hold still." Weiss' hands came up to him, one resting on his chest while the other came to touch his cheek. Had this been any other girl in any other situation Jaune might have considered it intimate. Right now, however, all he could do was stare down at the tiny terror of a girl who he knew was annoyed by both his and Ruby's antics.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to unlock your Aura," she explained. "If we run into some sort of Grimm out there I will not have your death on my conscience. Nor will I have you be a liability that Ruby and I have to save should there be an attack."

"Oh. Right. Good call I guess?"

"Is the touching really necessary?" Ruby asked from beside them. A glance over at the vampire showed her glowering at Weiss. "Or are you just using this as an excuse to feel up Jaune?"

Weiss' eyes snapped back open and her head whipped around to regard Ruby. "I am not feeling him up!" she snarled. "And yes it is necessary. So do us all a favor and be quiet while I unlock his Aura. I need to concentrate."

Ruby didn't say another word, but she pouted as she looked on at Weiss continuing to have her hands on the vampire's adventuring buddy.

"To be perfect is to achieve immortality," Weiss said softly. "Perfection is a burden to be sought out, to be fought for and cherished, for others and never for ourselves. Through the weight of legacy, we must strive forevermore to be perfect, and with our legacy achieve for the good of all. This is what it means to be a Schnee."

White light coursed over Jaune's body, and in an instant he felt as though he'd gained the strength of ten men. Gloved hands came up and Jaune regarded his glowing limbs with wonder and amazement. This… this was Aura? This was what all aspiring huntsmen his age possessed to give them the power they possessed?

This was so beyond cool!

A heavy breath came from Weiss' mouth and she slumped forward. Directly into Jaune's chest. He caught her before she could fall any further, and arms filled with newfound strength wrapped around the girl's back.

"Weiss?" he wondered. "Weiss are you okay?"

Feeling her hands come back up onto him, she pushed off his breastplate. "I'm fine," she said, continuing to push away from him, indicating that she could stand on her own. Jaune let go of her, and sure enough the heiress stood tall and proud. At least as tall as someone like her could. "It's just… you have a lot of Aura. An incredible amount, in fact. It was taxing to unlock it."

"Taxing," Ruby echoed. "And you weren't just looking for an excuse for him to hug you."

It was apparent from her tone that she didn't exactly believe Weiss' very logical explanation.

"I was _not_ feeling him up," Weiss repeated to the disgruntled redhead.

Jaune knew she was speaking the truth. After all, he'd been felt up enough by Ruby to know the difference.

A sideways glance at his friend showed her still glaring daggers at the Schnee girl. The last thing they needed was for there to be dissention in their party.

"She wasn't," he agreed. "And Weiss, thank you for this. I feel incredible. Like I could punch a hole in a mountain or something."

"The truth of the matter is more realistic than you think," she said. "However let's not dillydally any further. We must continue on our way in order to cover as much ground as possible. In case either of you have forgotten, we have a mission."

Jaune nodded. After sharing a glance with Ruby that he hoped would placate her, he nodded once more and the trio set off on the dirt road once more.

"You know who's behind this whole mess, don't you, Jaune?"

He had a hunch. After all, it didn't take a genius to pay attention to what was going on in Vale lately.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "It sounds like what I've been hearing on the news lately. The dust crisis and all that. It's gotta be Roman T-"

"That's right! Dust Gremlins!"

If they weren't in a hurry, Jaune would have stopped in shock. Rather, he simply turned to his friend with an incredulous stare. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Dust Gremlins," she repeated.

"Dust Gremlins?"

"Dust Gremlins, Jaune."

Was she being serious right now? A look at the vampire told him she was. But how? How in the world could she possibly believe what she was saying right now?

"Ruby… I don't think that's an actual thing."

"Oh excuse me, Jaune," Ruby said sarcastically. "Who's the expert on supernatural things in Remnant here?"

Jaune quirked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't call you an expert on anything, honestly."

"I am an expert on all things supernatural!"

The air either got colder, or else Weiss' frosty gaze was sending shivers down his spine. The girl in white and blue turned her head back at the arguing pair, and she did not look pleased. "Would you two be quiet? And don't be ridiculous, Ruby. There's no such thing as Dust Gremlins."

To be frank it shocked Jaune that Weiss was even acknowledging the declaration, even if it was just to deny it.

Ruby harrumphed, her hands pulling her red cloak around herself while simultaneously crossing her arms. "It's Dust Gremlins, Jaune," she said quieter so that Weiss couldn't hear her. "It's gremlins or my name isn't Ruby Bloodrose."

"But it isn't. It's Ruby Rose."

Just as quickly as her arms had entered their crimson cocoon, Ruby threw them up in the air. "This isn't about me!"

"But you made it about you."

"Whatever! Point is it's gremlins. You just watch. Watch and learn, little human."

Jaune frowned as they went. He may have been human, but he wasn't little.

Those two were little. Not that he felt like saying as much when they could both kick his tall butt. They'd never find his body out here in the middle of nowhere.

* * *

They'd been on the road for a couple hours now. All the while, Ruby had her eyes on that so-called heiress!

More like glareiress with the looks she liked to give herself and Jaune!

Could that icy glare of Weiss Schnee be masking hidden feelings for the boy? Was she some sort of tsundere like from her favorite Mistrali cartoons? Or maybe even a kuudere!?

Oh, Ruby Bloodrose had her eyes on you, Weiss…

What did she have that Ruby didn't? Besides a heartbeat. And the ability to eat normal food. And a perfectly functioning uterus. All overrated!

As the three teens trudged along, Ruby couldn't help but feel a little bit hungry. She'd enjoyed a nice light breakfast this evening, but lunch time was soon approaching. Which for normal people like Jaune and Weiss was the middle of the night. She wondered if they were getting hungry as well. All this walking on such short legs had to be building up an appetite for someone as petite as Weiss.

With that in mind, Ruby jogged forward a few steps until she was walking side by side with Weiss. The white-haired girl gave her a questioning look.

"Hey, um, Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you think it would be okay to take a little snack break? And to rest our legs. Just like… five minutes. Ten tops."

Weiss fished her scroll from some hidden pocket on her combat skirt and opened it. Glancing at the time, she quickly closed the device. "I suppose we're making good time, all things considered." She nodded. "Yes, very well. I'm feeling a bit peckish myself."

Ruby grinned. "Thanks. I'll just be… over here with Jaune," she said as she was walking away. "By this tree."

Grabbing hold of the boy's wrist as she neared him, she half-dragged him with her, but the boy caught on quickly enough and began walking with her. After a few seconds they reached the side of the road where plenty of tree cover stood. Ruby brought Jaune over to the far side of one of the trees, out of the line of sight of their other party member.

A hand pushed Jaune gently against the trunk, and Ruby peered up at the boy. "So, Jaune. Are you… in the mood?"

The boy's eyes went wide. "M-mood?"

Ruby's tongue came out and wetted her lips. "Mmhmm. I think you know what it is I want."

Jaune glanced around. "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yup. I'm feeling _very_ thirsty tonight, Jaune."

"Oh. R-right." Again he looked around, the slight worry on his face understandable when they weren't in the privacy of their inn room. "To be honest I've been thinking about this sort of thing since the party. I had no idea you were too."

Of course she was thinking about it. She had to feed. Every day. He knew this. But then again leave it to Jaune to be acting weird.

Ruby ran her tongue along her top teeth, sliding over her protruding fangs which were about to go to work. "It won't take long. Just get ready, okay? And be on the lookout for Weiss."

Jaune nodded hurriedly. He closed his eyes and puckered his lips before bending down at the knees a little bit for her to have better access to him. What a strange thing to do. Did he always pucker his lips when she fed? Oh well. As long as she got her blood it didn't matter how he looked when she did it.

The vampire tilted her head and opened her mouth. Fangs met flesh. She bit down.

And hit solid rock.

Ruby's eyes opened. She bit again, and again, nothing but hardness. Again and again she attempted to bite through Jaune's soft, yummy flesh, but to no avail. It was like there was some sort of force field preventing her fangs from penetrating his skin.

Coming back away from him, Ruby peered up at Jaune who in turn was staring down at her with a confused expression. "Ruby?" he asked.

"Jaune, you know this never usually happens," she said hurriedly at her inability to feed. "I- I never have performance issues anymore."

"Wait, you were trying to drink my blood?"

"Yes! Of course I was! Please don't joke about it and rub it in by pretending that's not what I was doing."

A hand quickly came up to the back of his neck, which he rubbed vigorously and embarrassedly. "Oh. R-right. Sorry, Ruby. Of course that's what you were trying to do."

Jaune was acting totally weird. But right now that wasn't the most pressing issue. The issue was that she was hungry and couldn't grab a darn meal!

"I kept bouncing off your skin," she complained softly. "Like there was something on there that wouldn't let me through." A sudden thought entered her mind. "Of course! Your Aura!"

"My Aura?"

"Yes! It's kinda like a force field. So it's protecting your squishy human body from me. It's not letting me pierce the skin and get my yummy blood."

Jaune's hand came back up, this time to rub his chin thoughtfully. "That makes sense," he mused. "My body, or like, my Aura, must think you're some sort of danger to it. Like a parasite or something."

Ruby gasped. Silver eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. "I am not a parasite!"

"I know, I know. It's just what my body thinks."

"Your body's stupid," she grumbled.

"But now that I think about it," he continued to muse and chin-rub. Ruby didn't like where this was going. "Are you really _that_ different from say, a mosquito? Or a tick?"

Ruby stared at him as if he was a mean ex-wife bird who'd just insulted her mother. She couldn't even formulate words in response to what he'd just said.

The silence between them was broken when stupid Jaune finally decided to open his stupid mouth once more. "I mean…"

They said that actions spoke louder than words, and Ruby Bloodrose was a vampire of action. She'd action the heck out of Jaune!

She leapt at him with a snarl, tackling him off the tree he'd been pressed against and onto the ground. Teeth chomped aggressively as she attacked his neck over and over again, trying desperately to pierce the boy's Aura and get some of that sweet red life-juice.

"Ah! Ow! Ruby!" the boy cried despite the fact that she still hadn't penetrated his Aura. "You're like a piranha or something!"

"Stop comparing me to animals!"

Ruby felt her wrists encompassed by the boy's hands, and he pushed her upward to get some distance between their bodies and faces. "Technically mosquitoes and ticks are part of the insect kingdom," he pointed out.

"Technically I can still kick your butt for being such a smartass!"

"Why say kick my butt if you're gonna say smartass just a second later? Just say ass."

"Stop criticizing me! You're not my language arts professor!"

Ruby began to struggle in order to free herself from the weaker human's grip, but the boy's strength was surprisingly solid. She was gaining ground, just not as quickly as she was used to. However the world, both figuratively and literally, was turned upside down as Jaune used his newfound strength as well as his grip on her wrists to flip her over onto her back. His large crushing bulk laid atop her, pinning the vampire down to the grassy ground with him between her legs.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she found herself in this very new and unfamiliar position.

"Huh, I guess Aura kinda balances things out now, doesn't it?" he said, as much to himself as it was to her. Ruby wasn't even struggling anymore, but he still pinned her wrists down above her head. "So how does it feel to be on the bottom for a change?"

How did it feel? It felt… different. Warm. Odd. Exciting? Feeling the weight of her best friend on top of her was producing so many emotions from the young vampire that she couldn't keep track of them all. Ruby was breathing heavily, and that said a lot considering that she didn't even need to breathe. Her chest was heaving against his own, and for long seconds Ruby found herself becoming lost in Jaune's deep blue eyes. And here she thought that vampires were the ones who were supposed to have transfixing gazes. Yet she couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away from-

"Oh my gods are the two of you trying to set a record for the most places you can soil with your debauchery?"

Ruby and Jaune both turned to see Weiss standing there with her hands on her hips. A look back at Jaune made her realize just what kind of suggestive and naughty position the two were in.

Jaune scrambled off her, obviously realizing the same thing. Ruby hurried to her feet as well, brushing the dirt and grass off her corset and skirt. By the time she'd cleaned herself up Weiss had walked away, presumably to give the pair some much needed 'privacy'.

"Sorry, Ruby," Jaune offered softly. "Got a little carried away with my new Aura and stuff."

Her fingers fidgeted nervously with themselves. "W-well it wasn't all bad…" Her head snapped up. "I mean it's good that you have power now!" she clarified. "Can't be a worthless, squishy human forever! What would happen if you tripped and broke your neck or something? Yes. Having Aura is a good thing." She nodded to emphasize the point.

Jaune shrugged and nodded in return. "Yeah. I definitely feel a lot stronger now. More confident." The boy smiled and chuckled softly. "And on the plus side you can't exactly push me around anymore. You don't have to worry about being too rough when we mess around."

"What!" she yelped. "W-we never mess around! I mean only that one time when we were enchanted, but messing around isn't a normal thing we do!"

"Drunk."

"We were enchanted, and I wasn't rough!"

"Huh? Of course n-"

"You're being weird, Jaune!" Ruby said, wanting desperately to get away from this awkward conversation. "I- I, um, I'm gonna go talk to Weiss! And stop trying to guess my kink!"

Ruby stormed off, leaving what appeared to be a confused boy in her wake. However, Jaune's confused expression had nothing on Ruby's own confused, unbeating heart.

Finding Weiss, she saw the girl busy on her scroll. A small snack bar was half-eaten in her other hand. Ruby hoped that the girl hadn't been too freaked out by the misunderstanding.

Speaking of misunderstandings… "So… Weiss," she started casually. "Buddy."

"We're not buddies."

"Companion?"

"Only in traveling."

"…girl whose nerves I get on?"

Weiss' head came up from her scroll. "Yes?"

The front of Ruby's knee-high boot rubbed nervously on the dirt road. "So, um, you remember that silly little video you took last night. You deleted it, right?"

The other girl sighed. "I haven't gotten around to it yet. I thought you might make some ridiculous request like wanting me to send it to you in order to commemorate your fake marriage with your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Ruby insisted. However, Weiss had made a good point about something. Something she had mistaken as ridiculous which was in fact anything but. "So… about sending me a copy of the video…"

Weiss sighed again. "I thought as much."

"It's not what you think!" Ruby yelled, waving her hands wildly in front of her face. "It's, um, for research purposes!"

"You mean so you can learn how to kiss properly?"

"Don't even say like mother like daughter!"

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing! Just forget about it!"

"Gladly. This conversation hurts like cavities."

Ruby bit down nervously as she watched Weiss work her scroll some more. Peering through the translucent screen, she saw a small and backwards picture come up, likely a still shot from the video in question. Soon it would be all hers. All hers to study in hopes of finding some sort of clue on the dastardly wizard who had put an enchantment on herself and Jaune!

Yes. For research purposes indeed.

"Give me your scroll number," Weiss said suddenly.

If Ruby needed to breathe, she would have had her breath taken away. Another friend! Another non-family member to put in her contact list! Ruby eagerly pulled out her own scroll and handed it to Weiss.

"Here! Add yourself into mine and I'll do the same for you!"

Reluctantly Weiss handed her scroll to Ruby. Information was exchanged. What a wonderful night this was turning out to be!

Seconds felt like minutes after Ruby's scroll was returned to her. However, sure enough, a new message from her newest contact was received. And in it was a video that while lasting just under a minute, was one of immeasurable weight.

"Now how do I save this…" the vampire pondered to herself as she began pressing touch screen buttons on her scroll.

After fumbling around with her scroll for a few minutes, the telltale sign of headlights appeared on the horizon. Receiving a call on her scroll, Weiss announced that the convoy was nearing their position.

The mission was halfway over.

A pair of trucks pulled up to them on the dirt road. To Ruby's surprise, however, there were no human occupants in the cabs. Rather, pairs of what appeared to be robots were responsible for driving the vehicles. Colored white, they were thin and lanky, and wore a shiny black mask of what looked to be glass over their faces.

"Weiss Schnee," the electronic voice of one of the drivers announced. "We are to deliver this cargo of dust to Canton under your supervision."

Weiss strode up to the parked truck, a certain swagger and confidence about her that chased away any doubts concerning her diminutive stature. "Thank you. General Ironwood has done me a great service by sending Atlesian Knights to aid in the transport of our cargo."

"Please, enter the vehicle and we may proceed."

Weiss turned around, gesturing for Ruby and a newly returned Jaune to follow her. "You heard it. In we go. There shouldn't be much of an issue for the last remaining leg of the journey."

They were words Ruby was happy to hear. Soon they'd return to Canton with a treasure trove of dust, and they'd be hailed as heroes. Only then would she be able to sneak off and begin to study her newly-acquired video. For research purposes.

* * *

It was a beautiful night on the island of Patch. As it turned out, things were about to get much more beautiful for one of its denizens.

As Summer sat in the living room curled up on the couch next to her husband, she heard her scroll buzz on the coffee table. Setting down the book she'd been silently enjoying, she reached over and grabbed the device.

"Oh it's from Ruby," she noted happily.

"Be sure to give her my love," Taiyang said next to her.

"Will do, sweetie." Summer opened up the messaging application where she saw that rather having received a text message, she instead received a video. "Hmm," she hummed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I think," she said. "I guess we'll find out."

Summer pressed the play button, and was immediately hit by the sights and sounds of what appeared to be some sort of bar. Whoever was recording had set their sights on Ruby and Jaune. They were dressed up in costumes, presumably for Halloween.

Something in Summer's undead heart stirred. Jaune looked _good_ as a stereotypical vampire. She wondered briefly if Ruby thought so as well. With the way the girl in the mummy wrappings was clinging to him, she must have.

_"Ruby, do you take Jaune to be your husband?" _a mermaid next to the pair asked.

Summer sucked in an unneeded breath.

_"Jaune's the best human ever!"_ Ruby declared as she stood clinging to his side. _"I dooo!"_

The crowd in the bar cheered. Summer squealed with them, like a fan girl who'd just seen her OTP come to life.

"Honey?" Tai asked.

"Shhh!" she shot harshly. Summer's feet had come up on the couch where she sat upright in an almost fetal position watching the video play before her.

_"And Jaune, do you take Ruby to be your wife?"_

_"Ruby's the best vampire ever! I do!"_

Summer had gone into full panic mode. Noises she didn't know she was capable of were slipping through her lips as she watched the wedding unfold.

The mermaid looked annoyed, but who cares! _"Then by the power vested in me by absolutely no one, and in no legally binding manner whatsoever, you are now husband and wife. You may... ugh. Kiss the bride."_

And then right there before her eyes did Summer witness her sweet baby girl kiss the human love of her life. Bodily fluids besides blood were being exchanged as Ruby and Jaune swapped spit, passionately making out before the cheering crowd in the bar. Summer had to set the scroll down as she too began to clap and cheer, wiping happy tears from her eyes as she watched her newlywed daughter kiss the special human she'd brought home to meet them.

"They grow up so fast," Summer sniffed. "My sweet baby's become a woman. And she's finally realized the true beauty of vampire-human love."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Tai said happily as he wrapped an arm around Summer's shoulders. "I wish they would have invited us, but I guess it was more of an impromptu decision."

"I wholeheartedly support their decision to elope," Summer managed through the tears. "She didn't even need to send us a video. So long as my sweet baby is happy, I'm happy. And I know she'll be happy for the rest of her life with Jaune."

"They even found a mermaid to officiate the ceremony," her husband noted. Summer nodded happily. Mermaids were like ship captains of the supernatural world, and could officially marry a couple. Though normally they'd be out at sea when it occurred.

"Oh, Tai," Summer gushed, leaning over and giving her husband a long, sweet kiss on the lips. "I haven't been this happy since our own wedding night."

"We should probably send them something, shouldn't we?"

Summer's silver eyes went wide with wonder. "Yes!" she exclaimed, leaping from her spot on the couch. "Oh yes, what a wonderful idea, dear." She began pacing back and forth on living room rug. "What to send them, what to send them…"

As the woman racked her brain for ideas, a third voice sounded from the staircase which led to the second floor of the cabin. "Mom? What's going on?"

Summer looked up to see Yang leaning against the railing. "Ruby got married!"

"Really? No kidding."

"She did! She and that wonderful human boy Jaune. She just sent us a video of the ceremony."

Yang descended the last of the steps, coming into the living room where she was greeted by an enormous hug from her mom. She heard her daughter grunt in pain in the embrace. "Ah! Not so tight, mom."

Summer released her hold on the girl and stepped back to gaze into those lilac eyes. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm just so happy right now."

"And to think I was going to eat him the first time Ruby brought him over."

"Yang Meredith Xiao Long!" Summer chided. "You're very lucky you didn't!"

Yang gagged. "Please don't use my middle name."

"We're trying to think of something we can send them as a wedding gift," she continued, ignoring Yang's request. Meredith was a lovely name. Probably the only good thing Raven had contributed to her daughter's life. "What could two young newlyweds use…" And like that it hit her. "Privacy! Luxury!"

"A honeymoon?" Yang asked.

Summer lightly tapped a finger on the tip of her daughter's nose. "That's my girl! An all expenses paid vacation! Somewhere they can enjoy a five star hotel, the beach, the night life…"

"What about Argus?" Tai suggested.

"Argus! Perfect!"

Moving back over to the couch, Summer grabbed her scroll once more and began searching. She had to find a great deal on an Argus vacation package. One that Ruby and Jaune would never forget. A honeymoon that they'd remember for the rest of their long, undead lives.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It sure has been a while since I've updated this, but there is a reason. Here's the story behind this, uh, story.

Originally it was a one shot. I had nothing beyond their initial encounter planned. But then so many people liked it and requested more, that I finally decided to keep going as long as I had ideas. There is no overarching plot to this, unlike in my other longer stories. This is basically just a collection of ideas and moments I find funny and entertaining. So little story arcs can quickly shift from one place to another. First we had some slice of life involving Ruby's family. Then we had some Beacon fun. Then the Canton arc with Weiss. Next we'll be moving on to a little Argus arc where some familiar faces will turn up. After that? Only time will tell.

I do apologize for the long break between chapters, but it's really one of those things where I'll only write something that really inspires and amuses me. The good news is that I have plenty of ideas for the next chapter or two. So hopefully those won't take nearly as long to get out.

As always, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.


	10. Chapter 10

The mission, or quest as Ruby liked to call it, in Canton had been a success. With Weiss' resources the town had been able to receive a much-needed shipment of dust in order to keep it lit and running. Not to mention its defenses against Grimm and bandits stable. They hadn't been able to offer any sort of monetary reward, but Jaune was fine with that. The grateful people of the town had heaped praise on all three of them, with promises of free rooms and drinks should they ever return. Weiss, naturally, took them up on the offer. Ruby and Jaune on the other hand had departed after a job well done and a healthy reputation to their names.

As they walked the streets of Vale, however, the sweet taste of victory felt more like the agony of defeat. At least for one of them.

Ruby groaned softly as she trudged along beside her travelling companion. She'd been unusually quiet these past few hours, and normally Jaune wouldn't have minded his normally chatty friend shutting up for a little while. However, he was concerned over her well-being in this state. The fact of the matter was that since he'd unlocked his Aura, Ruby hadn't fed.

It had been over a day since the hungry vampire had tasted his warm, nourishing blood.

Slumping forward with her head hanging limply, Ruby looked more like a zombie than a vampire as the two neared their destination. Hopefully there they'd be able to get answers.

"Jaune…" Ruby said softly. "I don't know how much more I can go…"

They were close. They were so close. He needed his vampire buddy to be strong just a little longer. "We're almost there, Ruby," he encouraged. "Just a little further."

Ruby waddled down the sidewalk with wide, awkward steps. Arms wrapped around her torso, and the occasional sounds of her growling stomach made Jaune's heart weep. The poor girl must have been starving for her to be in such a sad state.

"Jaune… I need… you to car… to car…"

"Care?" he asked. He took hold of Ruby's hand, her skin cold to the touch. Totally normal for his undead friend. "Of course I care, Ruby! And as soon as we get to Tukson's place we're going to find a book on Aura and figure out how I can lower it so you can eat."

He hoped it would be that easy. What Jaune _didn't_ want to happen was for the girl to lose control and end up attacking Tukson in order to get his blood. However he didn't think it would, or even could come to that. With his new enhanced strength, and Ruby's weakened state, Jaune believed he would be able to overpower her should it ever come to that.

"No. I need you to carry me… on your back."

Jaune stopped, and Ruby did with him. Raising her head in order to meet his gaze, Ruby pouted pathetically as her silver eyes yearned for her request to be fulfilled.

How could he say no to something like that?

Jaune smiled weakly at her and hunched over so that she would be able to climb up onto him. What would have normally been an easy feat for the girl was a monumental task now that she was starving.

Ruby clambered onto him, securing her hands around his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. Standing back up to full height, Jaune was surprised to find how little of a burden she presented to him.

"Huh. You're surprisingly light," he commented.

She hummed a weak moan in her throat. The leg which kicked into his side was weaker. "Jerk…" she groaned softly.

"Wait, sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he insisted. "You're light, Ruby. Super light."

She kicked him again.

"Hey stop it! I said I was sorry."

"I'm not kicking you for that," she told him. Another kick to the side of his leg. "Move, horse. Go."

Oh. Right. They had somewhere to be.

Jaune set off with the girl clinging to his back, and his arms came up to grasp her thighs in order to support and balance her better, as well as to take some of the burden off of her. Had her legs always been this soft? Sure they may have been cold in those fishnet stockings she wore, but as his fingers squeezed around them, they were no less appealing…

He shook his head. No. Now was not the time to be thinking those thoughts about his friend. She was weak and in danger, he shouldn't be thinking about how attractive she is. Especially because she was his friend! What he needed to do right now was cast all those images and memories of the two of them making out together out of his mind. He needed to focus on the mission. The quest. Quench Ruby's thirst.

And not that kind of thirst either!

Moving as swiftly as his long legs could carry him, Jaune reached the front door of Tukson's Book Trade. He pulled the door open and stepped inside to be greeted by the all too familiar sights and smells of books. Mountains and mountains of books.

As well as a pair of familiar faces.

Tukson looked up from behind the counter. Blake on the other hand lowered the book from her face to gaze upon the two newcomers.

"Should I even ask what's going on?" the girl wondered disinterestedly.

Realizing that she was commenting on his and Ruby's situation, Jaune bent his knees and allowed her to slide from his back. She stood on wobbly legs, and had to reach over in order to use one of the book shelves to support her.

"Dear gods, she looks pale," Blake followed up quickly as her eyes narrowed on Ruby. "…paler than usual," she quickly amended. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Hungry…" Ruby whispered. "So hungry…"

"She's fine," Jaune lied. It wasn't exactly like he could tell Blake that Ruby was a vampire who hadn't eaten in more than a day. Then again even if he did say that Blake still wouldn't believe him. Not when Ruby had flatly stated that she was a vampire before. "She's just hungry. She needs a Schneeckers. 'Cause, you know. You're not you when you're hungry."

Ruby gurgled pathetically.

"Hey, do you know where I can find any books on Aura?"

"Aura?" Blake asked, her interest suddenly a bit more piqued as she shut some book titled 'The Man With Two Souls II – The Man With Four Souls'. "Why?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, um, as it turns out this whole Aura thing didn't exactly come with a user's manual. So… I kinda don't know how to turn it off when I want to."

"Turn it off?" Blake squinted. "Why would you want to do that?"

He didn't exactly have a good answer for that. "Uh…" was all he could come up with before Ruby started making chomping motions with her mouth.

Golden eyes travelled from Jaune to Ruby, where they lingered on the vampire girl for a few seconds. When they fell back on Jaune, a knowing, almost apathetic expression crossed her lips. "Got it."

Jaune didn't like the certainty in her tone. "Wait, this isn't what you think it is," he insisted. He blinked before continuing. "Wait, what do you think it is?"

"Forget it, I really don't want to know about your personal lives," Blake sighed. "Everyone has their kinks. I'm not here to judge."

"Not my kink…" Ruby groaned softly.

"So Aura is kind of confusing at times," Blake explained. "It's passive for the most part, and when it's not, it kicks in by pure instinct. So what you have to do is consciously will yourself to lower it."

"Okay. How do I do that?"

"This is going to sound lame, but think happy thoughts." The fact that the dark-haired girl had just spoken those words in the most bored, monotone voice possible made the instruction comical. "Close your eyes and think about unthreatening things. Like… I don't know. Bunnies or something like that."

Jaune did just that. Closing his eyes, he pictured a box of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Crunch. The mascot himself, Pumpkin Pete. Images of cute, adorable, furry little critters hopping through the grass. Pink noses sniffing the air. Bucked teeth chomping down on carrots.

An image that suddenly and painfully became reality as he felt a set of jaws sink into the skin on his hand. Jaune's eyes opened in shock and he yelped in pain. "Ow!" he cried, looking down to see that Ruby had taken his hand and bitten down on it. "Ruby! You bit me!" His heart suddenly soared. His Aura hadn't stopped her. "You bit me!" he repeated, this time more enthusiastically. "It worked!"

Blake gave him a dead-eyed glare. "Yes. She bit you. Yay you."

Jaune's throbbing hand took Ruby's, and he started pulling the girl behind her. "Thank you so much, Blake! We owe you big time!"

"Please just forget it. I don't want you indebted to me."

Pulling Ruby past Tukson's counter, his focus turned next to the big guy. "Hey, do you have a bathroom here?"

The man nodded. "Yes," he pointed down to one of the corners near the back of the store. "For paying customers only."

"Don't worry, we're going to buy stuff."

Jaune didn't wait for a reply as he tugged his hungry friend behind him. Ruby was a hungry little bloodsucker, and Jaune wouldn't be the hero he'd always wanted to be if he couldn't do something as simple as feeding his starving best friend.

* * *

Blake watched as the blond boy dragged his friend behind him on his way to the bathroom. What exactly he planned to do once he got there, she couldn't say for certain. However, she did have a very good idea of what it was that those two freaks would do.

After all, they were the ones who'd been caught making out both the night before Beacon's initiation and during it. The duo that shipped their two S&S characters together in their campaign, glorifying things like forbidden love between vampires and humans. The fact that Ruby had just bitten Jaune made Blake think that the girl really liked getting into her LARPing gimmick.

As soon as the door had shut behind them, the faunus girl turned to regard the man behind the counter. "You're really going to let them use the bathroom together after what just happened?" she asked incredulously.

Tukson shrugged. "They may be weird, but there's no way they'd do that sort of thing in a public bathroom."

Normally Blake would be inclined to agree. Bathrooms, especially those of the public variety, were _filthy_ places. It was hard enough sharing one with three people at Beacon, but with who knew how many strangers? She could never see herself using even Tukson's public place. No matter how much she trusted that he cleaned it every day.

Her silence must have spoken volumes, as Tukson soon followed up on his assessment. "They're good kids," he added, and Blake wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her, or himself.

She nodded absentmindedly in anything but agreement. "I should just make sure," she said as her feet began moving. "The last thing this place needs to be known for is the conception of a teenage pregnancy."

Blake loved Tukson's Book Trade. Not only was it a peaceful little haven of literature for her to enjoy in her free time, but it was owned by a faunus. Vale may have been more accepting and open-minded than Mistral and Atlas, but faunus business owners were still a minority.

Creeping over toward the bathroom with cat-like steps befitting her faunus trait, Blake casually leaned against one of the wall book shelves and grabbed a random book before opening it up. Should the pair of teens come out unexpectedly, she wanted an excuse as to why she was so close to the bathroom door.

"_Ah, Ruby! Slow down!" _she heard Jaune whisper harshly.

The sounds of activity on the other side of the door made her bow twitch and feline ears perk up. This was _exactly_ the kind of thing she had suspected would happen.

"_I can't, Jaune," _Ruby whispered back urgently. _"I need this!"_

Blake took a deep breath. On one hand she should step away rather than subject her poor ears to this degeneracy. On the other hand, maybe she should make _absolutely sure_ that this isn't just one big misunderstanding.

"_Hold still, Jaune. I have to get a good angle on you."_

"_It's kinda difficult to do this while standing up."_

Blake blinked, her golden eyes not even focusing on the words printed on the page opened up before her. She was taking deep breaths through her nose as she focused all her energy on listening. There was still a chance she was merely misreading the whole situation…

Her breath hitched when she heard Jaune gasp through the door. There was no mistaking _that_ sounds. Nor could the labored breathing of the boy be anything but what she had ultimately feared.

"_Ruby…" _he moaned, the words, and lack of hers, painting a picture of what must have been going on in a public bathroom of all places. _"Ah… Ruby…"_

The boy was practically gasping for air as Ruby continued to do… to do… _that_ to the boy she claimed wasn't her boyfriend. Yeah, sure, Jaune wasn't her boyfriend, and Blake wasn't a faunus. One was just as believable as the other.

"_You don't need to suck that hard,"_ he told the girl, and the sheer brazenness of the words nearly caused Blake to lose her footing. Her hands came out to brace herself against the bookshelf, and she hoped it hadn't caused so much noise that the two on the other side of the door were alerted to her presence.

Finally she heard Ruby speak. _"You try going more than a day without this!" _she snapped angrily. It seemed as if the tired, lethargic Ruby was gone. The old energetic and spunky Ruby was back.

Blake shuddered, and mentally reminded herself _not_ to refer to Ruby as 'spunky'.

Still, she was this… _thirsty_ after only a day of not being able to do this with Jaune? Just how horny were these two? It was good for everyone that they hadn't made it into Beacon, otherwise they would have turned the place into their own public love nest.

"_I know it's been a while, but please be gentle, okay?"_

"_It's not my first time doing this, you know!"_ Ruby squawked. _"I think I know how to handle you by now!"_

The sounds of activity resumed inside, and as Blake moved ever closer to the door, her sensitive faunus ears listening intently, she could indeed hear sucking on the other side. So this was it. This was really happening. They were really doing that here and now. Did they have zero shame?

As horrifying as it was to hear, Blake found that she couldn't move away either. It was like a car wreck. Terrible, but you had to stare. You had to witness the revulsion for yourself. And as she continued to hear Ruby sucking away at Jaune, that was exactly what she was doing.

She heard Ruby breath a satisfied hum, and the smacking of her lips was audible even through the door. _"Wow, Jaune. That tasted great. I feel so alive right now."_

Was public sex some sort of thrill for the two? It made sense, considering their earlier misadventures at Beacon.

"_Careful not to take your mouth off too fast next time. It could squirt all over with how hard you were going at it."_

Blake wept internally for Tukson. The poor man. He'd have to clean up his bathroom after two of his customers had just used it for their own deviant purposes.

She had to be extra sure never to even consider using the toilet in there under any circumstances.

_Lemme just clean up my mouth, and then we'll go back out."_

That was Blake's cue to leave. Shoving the book she'd taken back in its home on the shelf, she walked as quickly and quietly as her legs would carry her away from the store's bathroom. She wondered if she would have the heart to tell Tukson what had occurred in there. On one hand he should know what his customers are doing in his store. On the other… she didn't want to lose her S&S group.

No matter how pervy they were.

* * *

Ruby emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed and filled with vigor. She'd gotten her fill from her buddy's warm, tasty veins and then some. Honestly she was a bit surprised at the amount of blood he'd allowed her to take from him. A few weeks ago he would have been lying comatose in bed like he had on the first night they'd met one another. Now, however, Jaune was walking behind her with as much strength and energy as ever.

Interesting. Very interesting.

Now that the boy had a good grasp on how to lower his Aura they had no need to purchase any books on the topic. Still, it would be bad form to come here and use Tukson's bathroom without buying anything, especially after he said it was for paying customers only. Ruby decided she would have to buy something. What, however, she couldn't decide.

As it turned out Jaune had his own purchases in mind. "I'm going to go over to the comic book stand," he informed her. "See if anything new came out this week."

Ruby nodded. "Sounds good. I'll just be browsing."

The two teens parted ways, each heading in a different direction in the store. Ruby's path took her toward her S&S teammate, and she noticed how Blake stole a very deliberate glance at her before she buried her face back in the book she held in her hand.

Blake had always been a weird one, so Ruby paid her behavior no mind. Instead she'd go and strike up a conversation with the girl, and maybe get some idea of what she could buy while she waited for Jaune to be done pursuing the comics.

"So whatcha reading?" the vampire asked as she sidled up next to Blake.

The other girl took a couple wide steps away from her. "A book," she answered nonchalantly.

Ruby frowned. Duh, of course she was reading a book! Blake's lack of social tact never failed to surprise Ruby. "Well, yeah. But what's it about?"

Blake sighed. It was soft, and had it not been for Ruby's enhanced senses it might have gone unnoticed. "It's the sequel to a book about a man with two souls in his body, each fighting for control over his body."

"Oooh!" Ruby gushed. "Magic? Is it based on a true story?"

The other girl gave her a deadpan glare. "No. It's not. There's no such thing as magic."

Ignorant human. Ruby could teach this girl a thing or two. Not that Blake would ever believe her… unless, of course, she saw it with her own eyes. However, Ruby didn't feel like exposing herself to Blake. That was a privilege left for Jaune's eyes only.

Silver eyes widened. Her secrets! Her secrets were for Jaune's eyes only! Not her body! Because they weren't lovers! That was only in Swords and Sorcery!

"E-enough of that kind of talk!" Ruby insisted, desperately wanting to change the subject away from Blake's perverted inquiries. "Hey, so why are you here anyway? It's not S&S night."

Blake's golden eyes squinted in confusion, and her head shook softly before she responded. "The same reason you're here on a non-S&S night." She held up the book in her hands deliberately.

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Books. Reading and learning and all that good stuff." Ruby cleared her throat deliberately, and her arms came up to hug her own torso as she gently swayed back and forth. "I suppose I should find a book."

"Yeah. You go do that."

"I will! A book on magic." Ruby felt emboldened by Blake mentioning that magic wasn't real. What the other girl didn't know was that she was a vampire, and vampires _were_ magic. Not only that, but they could learn magic from a forgotten age of humanity. From a time long long ago well before recorded history. A time when the gods had walked among them, and humans possessed powers beyond the comprehension of modern day mortals.

At least, that's what her dad had said.

"You seem better," Blake commented. "So did Jaune have a… Schneeckers in his pocket for you?"

Ruby gave the girl a confused look. Schneeckers? What was she- oh right! She had been hungry! Blake must have noticed her complete change in demeanor after feeding. Yes. She'd been a very thirsty girl.

She looked up to the ceiling. _And not thirsty in that way, mom!_

"Yes," she agreed wholeheartedly. "Jaune, um, gave me a Schneeckers, and now I'm not hungry anymore."

Blake hummed. "Maybe magic is real," she mused, her eyes still on the open book in front of her. "Are you sure you're not a succubus?"

The question hit Ruby hard. Her jaw dropped. Had Blake been knowledgeable about magic this whole time? Had she just been messing with Ruby before? In any case, to even be compared with one of those life-draining harpies was beyond insulting!

"I am _not_ a succubus!" Ruby growled. "How dare you even compare me to one of those third-rate life-suckers! If I was a succubus do you think Jaune would even be standing right now?"

She stole a glance over at Jaune, who was browsing through the comic books. She turned back to Blake, whose eyes had flicked up from the page she was reading to regard the vampire.

"It sounded like you were sucking _something_ in there…" she said softly, motioning with her head to the bathroom.

Ruby's eyes widened. Uh oh. Busted! So did that mean Blake knew she was a vampire? She didn't seem freaked out by it at all. Or afraid. Or surprised.

Her eyes darted around the room, looking everywhere _but_ the girl before her. "You know th…" she stammered. "One thing I sh…" she continued to fail at words. "Excuse me for one second."

She didn't wait for Blake's response, and Ruby hurried over to Jaune. Coming up behind him, she tugged at his sleeve. The boy turned and smiled down at her.

"Hey, Ruby. What's up?"

Ruby brought herself close to him, leaning up on her toes to whisper into his ear. "She's onto us…"

When Jaune gave her a confused squint, Ruby motioned sharply with her head over to Blake. The two shared a look at the dark-haired girl, who continued to lean against the counter reading her book. The bow atop her head twitched.

"Us?" he questioned. "Don't you mean you?"

"Hey, we're in this together!" she squawked. "It takes two to tango!"

"You mean it takes one to do the sucking, and one to just stand there while his friend gets her needs taken care of."

Ruby sucked in an unneeded and insulted breath. "I am not just using you for my own needs!"

"I know, I know," he smiled. "But you're so fun to tease."

The redhead's face scrunched up as her body began to vibrate with a mix of anger and embarrassment. Jaune was so mean! But now that he had Aura, at least she could hit him now and not worry about hurting him.

A tiny fist lashed out and punched her friend in the shoulder. It was like hitting a big meaty wall of rock, and though the impact echoed in her ears, Jaune only showed mild annoyance from the strike.

"Ow," he said, showing as much concern as if he'd just been bitten by a mosquito. The thought only angered Ruby further, recalling the time he'd compared her to the tiny insect. "You should really use your words when you feel upset, Ruby."

"How about I use my magic!" she threatened.

"Magic?" he wondered. "What magic do you know?"

Ruby took a glance around, and after seeing Blake again, decided to take this conversation to another part of the book store away from her. It wouldn't do to risk Blake becoming privy to any more forbidden knowledge that she already knew.

When they'd gotten a safe distance away from her and Tukson, Ruby continued the conversation in a low voice. "None, yet," she grinned. "However, maybe there's a book here that will teach me something. After all, what kind of vampire would I be if I didn't know a lore of magic?"

"Lore?"

"Of course," she said knowingly. "There's different lores of magic, Jaune. Not that I'd expect a human like you to know these things. There's the lore of vampires. The lore of shadows. The lore of death." Ruby grinned as she thought about the possibilities. There was so much that people didn't even know they didn't know. "The winds of magic are blowing strongly tonight, Janue. I can feel Vanhal's Dance of Death just itching on my fingertips…"

Jaune gave her a blank look. "Is that some kind of nerd reference?"

In an instant Ruby's excitement was dashed and replaced with annoyance. "No it's not a nerd reference!"

"'Cause I'm kind of a big nerd myself and I've never heard that one."

"It's a magic spell, Jaune!" Ruby insisted. "A real life spell to spur the undead forward with greater vigor and vitality!"

Jaune frowned. "So… like undead Viagra? I guess that makes sense if there's no blood flow…" he trailed off, before his face became a mask of confusion. "Wait, how did you dad get your mom pregnant if vampires can't… you know…"

Ruby's body recoiled, her face scrunching up and her tongue poking out in disgust. "Ew! Don't bring up my mom and dad like that!" After all, she'd gotten enough of her mom's inappropriate stories from the woman herself.

"I'm just curious…" Jaune said innocently.

"Be less curious! Or be curious about things that aren't so icky!"

"Haven't you ever wondered how you were made?"

"No, Jaune! Unlike some people I don't think about my parents having sex!"

The words hung in the air, and upon uttering the last one Ruby was suddenly aware that she was in a public place. Glancing around, she saw how both Blake and Tukson were staring at them from across the store. Yeah, they'd heard all of that outburst, much to the vampire's chagrin.

Ruby's body deflated, and tried to look as tiny as possible while hiding behind Jaune's big beefy body.

"Is it weird that they kinda look like us?" the boy followed up quietly.

Ruby's eyes were glued to the floor. She blinked several times, making no attempt to respond to the question.

"It's kind of weird they look like us," he soon added. "I mean, your mom looks _just_ like you. And your dad and me both have blond hair and blue eyes…"

Her head snapped back up, and eyes filled with intensity and fury bored into his own. She desperately wanted nothing more than for this conversation to be over and for her friend to stop talking about her parents vampire-human relationship. Because it was definitely not something she wanted for herself!

"Yes it is weird! Don't ever bring that up again!"

The look on Jaune's face changed immediately, his eyes becoming glazed over and the muscles beneath his skin going slack. "I won't ever bring that up again."

Good. At least the stupid human knew his place! One didn't want to get on the bad side of Ruby Bloodrose – Professional Vampire Adventurer.

Seconds ticked by, and neither of the two teens spoke. Ruby stole another glance at her friend, who seemed kind of shaken up by what had just occurred. She frowned. It hadn't been her intention to scare him, but being the kick-butt vampire that she was, sometimes those things just happened with mortals.

Blue eyes continued to stare blankly at her. It was beginning to become a little freaky.

"Jaune?" she asked. "Jaune, say something."

"Something."

It looked like she'd hurt his feelings. The normally chatty boy was anything but that right now. She hated seeing him like this, and it was all her fault. "Sorry, Jaune," she said softly. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that. Can we go back to normal now?"

Jaune blinked hard, and the boy stumbled back a step before shaking his head. "Sorry, what? I think I just… I don't even know what just happened."

Ruby felt awful. She'd scared the wits right out of her best friend, travelling companion, and blood bag. That hadn't been in intention at all!

Nervously rubbing the tip of her boot on the floor, Ruby's arms squeezed around herself again as the next question on her mind blurted out. "Do you think my mom's pretty?"

Her gaze was locked on the floor, and she didn't catch however Jaune must have reacted to the question. However, the pause between it and his answer spoke volumes.

"I thought you said not to bring up your parents," he replied.

"I said for _you_ not to bring up my parents," she corrected him. "They're my parents though. _I_ can do whatever I want with them." Silver eyes finally glanced up to peer into his own. "So do you?"

He shrugged uncomfortably. "I mean… your mom's an attractive woman. No one could deny that. I kinda see what you mean by this being awkward now…"

It was. However, Ruby had received her answer. One that made her cold, undead body fill with warmth for some reason. "Yes. Yes it is." _And yes she is._ "Thank you, Jaune."

"For what?"

Ruby stood there hugging herself, unable to stop the wide grin from curling her lips upward. "Nothing…"

"Wow, didn't even need to beguile him for that one."

Ruby jumped at the sudden sound of a new but familiar voice.

Spinning around, standing mere feet behind her, the grinning form of Yang eyed her amusingly with her arms folded across her chest.

"Yang?" Ruby asked in shock. It was nothing new for her older sister to be able to sneak up on her like this. When the blonde wanted to she could be as silent as the grave. She was a skilled and powerful vampire beyond even Ruby's own skills. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?" The second question was perhaps the more pressing one.

Yang closed the distance between herself and Ruby in a few steps. "What's up sis," she smiled warmly to the redhead. Her attention turned to Jaune. "…bro." She next dug into the pocket of her shorts, pulling out a scroll. "I found you with the 'Find Scroll' app," she answered nonchalantly. "Mom always wanted to be able to find us just in case we ever got trapped outside during daytime."

It made sense. Still, why was Yang here _now?_ Why had she chosen to track Ruby down tonight and here of all places?

The blonde turned to face Jaune, and the tips of her fingers brushed lightly against his neck. "Well hi there. Looking like just as much of a _snack_ as I remember," she grinned mischievously. "I see Ruby already had a taste…"

Ruby didn't like the way her sister had said that one word. Was she hitting on Jaune? Hitting on her bestie right in front of her like this? How could someone be so brazen!

She stepped forward to place herself between the two blondes, facing her older sister in the process. "So like I said, _Yang_," she said forcefully. "What are you doing here?"

Yang quirked an eyebrow, smirking down on her sister with amusement. "What, can't a girl congratulate a couple of newlyweds? I mean, it's the least I can do after you didn't even invite your family to the ceremony. I'm sure there were so many tasty drinks there…"

Ruby glanced back to share a look with Jaune. He appeared just as confused as she was. "Newlyweds?" she asked when she returned her focus to Yang.

"Yeah," she said, swiping a few times on her scroll before holding it up for Ruby to see. "You know. This."

The video of Ruby and Jaune's drunken fake wedding played. All the familiar sights and sounds that Ruby had long ago memorized played out for everyone within earshot to hear. The fact that Yang had this video was mortifying.

"Yang… how did you get this video?"

"Mom."

Ruby frowned. "How did _mom_ get this video?"

"You."

Silver eyes widened. That made no sense! How! She never showed it to anyone! It was something she enjoyed in the privacy of her own… privacy!

"Ruby," Jaune spoke up. "Where did _you_ get this video?"

She took a step back so both blondes could be in her line of sight. Yang had that same shit-eating grin on her face. Jaune just looked confused. He usually did. Stupid confused human.

"Uh… Weiss?" she answered, uncertain despite her certainty.

Ruby pulled out her own scroll, the mention of the girl's name prompting her to text her female bestie. It had been a day since they'd last seen each other. She wondered how the heiress was doing.

"Just so you know, we're not actually married," Jaune pointed out helpfully. "We both kinda got… drunk."

"Enchanted!" Ruby corrected him as she typed out her message to Weiss.

"Oh. Really?" Yang asked with genuine surprise. "The way the two of you were making out like that I could have sworn you were married."

"They tend to do that a lot," a fourth voice said. Blake had come up behind Yang.

Yang spun around to greet the newcomer. "Oh? And how do you know my sister, kitty-cat?"

Blake's eyes widened and she took an almost instinctive step back. "I'm sorry, what?"

Yang took a pursuing step after her. "What? Which part surprised you?" Blake continued to backpedal, while Yang continued her chase. "That I know you're a faunus? Or that this little dork is my sister?"

Before she could get too far, Ruby decided to rein her adventurous sister in. "Yang! No!"

The blonde stopped in her tracks, and she turned to regard Ruby with a chilling glare. She recognized it all too well. Yang had just sighted her next meal, and she didn't like being told 'no'. The older girl sighed and returned to stand next to her sister. "Party pooper."

Ruby leaned up to whisper into her sister's ear. "No eating my friends," she insisted harshly.

Yang snorted. "This one's your friend too?" She eyed Blake, who was keeping her distance and suddenly looking very defensive and alert. "Well look at you finally coming out of your shell. I guess this one here really has done you a lot of good," she said, nodding to Jaune.

Ruby glanced toward Jaune as well. What Yang said really was true. Not only was Jaune a safe and reliable food source for her, but he really had gotten her to come out of her shell. Ruby had never brought a friend home before, much less a boy. Not that this did her any favors when it came to her fan girl of a mom!

But she'd also been able to get out of the house and start doing things. She had an S&S group to play with every week. She'd gone on an adventure to Beacon Academy. To the border village of Canton. She'd made friends in Blake and Weiss. Truth be told, meeting Jaune had been one of the best experiences of her unlife!

"Still, it's disappointing that the two of you didn't actually get hitched," Yang sighed. "I mean I couldn't really care less, but mom's gonna be devastated."

Ruby knew she was right about that. Their mom had an unhealthy obsession with vampire-human relationships. She could only imagine the glee which the woman had felt seeing her daughter get married to a human. Even if it was all fake…

The younger vampire's scroll buzzed, and she pulled it up to see Weiss' response to her text. _Why do you still have my contact information?_

Ruby grinned and chuckled softly. "Such a tsundere…"

"So I guess we can just throw these tickets for an all expenses paid vacation to Argus away," her sister continued.

Those words earned Ruby's attention once more, and her head came up to stare at Yang. "What? Vacation?"

"A wedding gift from mom and dad," Yang shrugged. "They're gonna be so disappointed when I have to go back home to tell them you're not going to use them…"

Ruby shook her head quickly, and rushed up to grab hold of Yang's hands. "Have I ever told you you're my favorite sister?" she smiled as she stared up into Yang's lilac eyes.

"I'm your only sister," she smirked.

"Yes. The one and only sister who would never do anything to make her younger sister feel bad. And throwing away those tickets would really do that." Ruby's hands squeezed down on Yang's, and her eyelids fluttered as she continued to peer up at the other girl. "So you should still let us go on that vacation."

"Mmmm," Yang hummed loudly, obviously exaggerating and playing along with Ruby's game. "I suppose we could arrange something like that, provided I got to tag along. Seeing how you aren't actually married, you wouldn't mind if I came along for that nice, free honeymoon suite, would you?"

A vacation with her sister and her best friend? That sounded awesome! "You should totally do that!"

"Good, I'm glad you think so too," Yang smiled. "Great minds think alike and all that. Because you know, there's no way I want to go back home and tell our poor, love-drunk mom that her daughter _didn't_ just fulfill her wildest dreams and marry a human."

"I couldn't agree more!"

"Besides, I could use a nice vacation. And what better place than Argus?"

Ruby was with her up until that last part. "What are you talking about? You don't _do_ anything. No school and no job. Every day is a vacation for you."

"Um, excuse you, Ruby? Maintaining this figure and this hair is a full time job in itself." As if to emphasize the point, Yang ran a hand through her long golden mane, gently shaking it like a model might on a runway walk as her other hand planted itself sexily on her hip.

"Wait, your sister's a NEET?" Jaune spoke up.

Ruby's eyes widened and her lips quivered. It took a moment, but she burst into laughter. She grabbed hold of Jaune's arm, leaning against him for support. "Yes! Oh my gods, yes! Yang is a total NEET!"

The two shared in their laughter for a few seconds, but when Ruby glanced back over at Yang it was clear that the blonde girl didn't find it amusing. "I don't know what that is, but if Ruby finds it funny you'd better take it back."

He didn't. Neither did Ruby. Yang snarled, baring teeth as she glowered up at the taller boy.

"Remember, Yang. No hurting my husband unless you wanna tell mom that you attacked my human," Ruby joked. "Not that you can anyway now that he has his Aura!"

Yang's expression quickly changed from anger to a wicked grin. "Oh really? Well then, he'll just be more fun to break if he ever decides to call me a… whatever it was that he called me again."

"A NEET," Ruby snorted amusedly.

"Yes. That." Yang's grin widened as her face lit up. "Oh! I almost forgot." She dug into her pocket where she produced a small box. I was a simple flat white box with a velvet red bow wrapped around to keep it closed. "One more wedding gift from mom."

Ruby's eyes lit up and she eagerly took the box from Yang. "Oh, what is it!" she gushed as she pulled the ribbon apart and tore the cover off.

Her jaw dropped at the contents inside.

"Oh, you know. Just some sexy lingerie for you and your new _husband_ to enjoy," Yang smiled. "She mentioned how you needed to update your wardrobe, and that your old cartoony panties wouldn't do for the new man in your life."

Ruby stared down at the very skimpy and very see-through red lace lingerie in the box. Her mom had bought that for her to enjoy with… with…

The redhead stared at Jaune, who'd gone pale himself while he stared at the contents of the box. Ruby was quick to shove the lid back on top of it.

"Don't look!" she insisted to the boy next to her.

"And my job is done here. Message delivered." Yang spun on a heel, flicking her hair back over her shoulder as she strutted away. "Text me when you're ready to go. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone with your new gift."

Ruby watched as Yang left the shop, and she clutched the box with embarrassment. Suddenly a vacation with Jaune and Yang seemed like it could be a lot less relaxing than she'd initially thought.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I leave you hanging for six months, then I come back and update in two weeks. It's all about that inspiration, and I was feeling inspired.

Speaking of inspired, if you like this story then I strongly encourage you to check out a new story from my friend **Lightningstrxu**. It's called **Love Bites**, and is a sort of "what if" scenario if Jaune had met vampire Yang instead of vampire Ruby. You should totally go check it out, and then leave him a review telling him to make it more than just a one shot.

So I had a lot of fun here. Blake being the straight man to Ruby's comedy is always fun, and adding Yang to the mix for the next few chapters is going to be a treat. And being in Argus, I'm sure you can guess who else is going to show up. What kind of shenanigans will they get into up there? Only time will tell...

As always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.


	11. Chapter 11

An eager redhead, keycard in hand, swiped it down on the electronic lock in order to gain access to the room.

"Wha-sha!" Her Royal Dorkness exclaimed as she slid the card, adding her own special sound effect to the action.

A red light turned green, and the dull click of the lock told him that they'd gained access to the room. Ruby wasted no time in pushing the door open and stepping inside.

"Come on, husband!" she called after Jaune, who was naturally saddled with all of their luggage. "Let's go!"

"You know I'm not actually your husband, right?" he asked as Ruby disappeared into the room.

"For the purposes of this trip you are," Yang smiled, pushing ahead of Jaune before shooting him a wink. "Though normally you'd be carrying her in your arms into the room."

"Do your and hers bags count?"

The blonde girl snorted a small laugh. "Oh man up. You've got Aura now, remember? Three backpacks should be no problem for a big strong huntsman like you."

Yang flipped her hair over her shoulder before she too entered inside the hotel room, leaving Jaune juggling all of their luggage in his arms before he followed after.

Ahead of her Jaune could see that it was dark, and he stumbled in after his adventuring buddy as Ruby fumbled around the wall to find the light switch. Eventually her hand found it, and a large overhead light in the room illuminated the complimentary honeymoon suite courtesy of Ruby and Yang's parents.

"Whoaaaaa!" Ruby gasped in awe as the full extent of the room was shown to the teenagers.

The place was huge. Bigger than any hotel room Jaune had ever seen or stayed in. Along with the standard hotel room hardware like a bed, small side tables and a larger one holding a TV, the place was complete with a small circular table with a pair of comfortable looking chairs. A large, heart-shaped bed sat against one of the walls, and normally that would have been enough to take Jaune aback. There was even a kitchenette for them, or rather Jaune, to prepare meals should he want to. However, it was the fully-functioning jacuzzi which rested up against two of the walls where they joined which was the most impressive part of the room.

"This is so freakin' sweet!" Ruby gushed, running over and peering down into the empty tub. "This place has everything! Even a freakin' jacuzzi!"

"Big enough for two," Yang added unhelpfully.

With those words Jaune's attention turned back to the bed. The _single,_ large bed shaped like a heart. There was no couch either. So that meant…

"I can't wait to try it out!" Ruby said with glee, ignoring her sister's comment and the implication behind it. "It's a good thing I still have my bikini from when we tried to find One-eyed Willy's treasure."

Yang's head turned and her gaze met Jaune's. She quirked her eyebrows questioningly, and Jaune shrunk back in fear under that suspicious look. They hadn't done anything wrong! Nothing at all! All they'd tried to do was find buried treasure.

"Y-yeah," Jaune agreed, doing his best to ignore Yang's curious look. "And I have mine." He paused briefly. "My own swimsuit I mean. Not a bikini," he hurriedly corrected.

"I dunno, I think I'd like to see you in a bikini," Yang smirked, walking past Jaune and intentionally brushing her arm against his. "Or if not you could just give it to me so I'd have something to wear while I'm in the hot tub."

Jaune blinked. "You mean you don't…?"

Yang grinned menacingly. "Nope. So I hope you knock before coming back into the room."

"But… isn't it our room?"

"Not anymore," she said innocently, flashing fangs which indicated that her words were anything but that.

Jaune tried to look to Ruby for help against her domineering older sister, but the redhead was still dorking out over their room. Admittedly there was a lot of cool things about it, but the boy could really use some support against the dangerous and deadly vampire who would be staying with them. One who so far hadn't shown and qualms or reservations about eating him, and not in the same way that Ruby did.

"Mini fridge!" Ruby screamed, opening it up to reveal a treasure trove of undoubtedly overpriced candy and drinks.

"There's a normal fridge too," Jaune said, motioning over to the small kitchen area of the suite.

"But mini fridges are so much cooler!" she argued.

"Heh, cooler," Yang snorted.

Jaune blinked. He was certain Ruby's pun had been entirely unintentional.

"You don't eat human food," Jaune pointed out.

"Well duh, sure," she agreed. "But let's say I wanna save up some blood and put it in there for a midnight snack. Now I _can!_"

The words sunk in, and a chill ran down Jaune's spine. "Wait, wouldn't you have to…"

"Drain your blood?" Yang finished for him. "Yup."

Jaune laughed uncomfortably. "Y-yeah, but isn't it better, um, straight from the tap?" he tried to argue in favor of _not_ bleeding him like some sort of medieval medical treatment.

"It's hot out there," Yang correctly stated. "A nice cold glass of blood really hits the spot on a hot summer day."

Jaune reached up and tugged at the collar of his shirt. Yeah, it suddenly _was_ very hot. Too hot. So hot that he needed to go turn on the air conditioner.

The blond boy moved over to find the large window unit and set it to its coldest setting. Given the size of the room it would take some time, but the hot room would cool down and give him a nice, comfortable sleeping temperature. At least that would be settled.

The fact that there was only one bed for the three of them was a bridge they would cross when they reached it.

"So what do you lovebirds wanna do first?" Yang joked. The sun had set, and though it wasn't too late yet, their options for fun and entertainment were swiftly running out as it got later into the night.

Ruby sat on the edge of the hot tub and brought a finger up to her lips as she hummed in thought. "I dunno. Go see a movie?"

"Is there anything special that comes with the vacation package?" Jaune wondered.

"Probably things we can only do during the day," Yang grumbled. Jaune frowned as well, and not for the first time was a firsthand witness to the limitations of being a vampire. For all their strength, vitality, and supposed magic, they really were forced to live in a separate world from the rest of humanity. They couldn't even go out to dinner like a normal group of vacationing humans would. After all, _he_ was their dinner.

Wait, _their?_

"Well I did promise my sister Saphron I'd go visit her once we got here," Jaune said.

Ruby gasped. "Wait, did you say _sister!?_" she exclaimed, leaping up from her seat on the hot tub.

Jaune blinked. "Yeah, Ruby. I told you one of my sisters lived here in Argus."

"Like, on the air ship coming here," Yang added.

Ruby growled, and visible frustration was etched on her adorable little pouting face. "Well excuse me for trying to be excited! It's not every day you get to meet your best friend's sister! It's a cause for celebration and happiness!"

"Hear that, Jaune? Where was all that celebration and happiness when you met me?" Yang asked.

"In my defense you tried to eat me the moment you first saw me," Jaune reminded her.

Yang's tongue darted out, licking her lips as she smiled at the memory. "Yeah… good times. Good times."

"Not for me!"

"You survived."

"Thanks to Ruby."

"Yeah, thanks to me!" Ruby bragged, coming over to protectively stand in front of Jaune.

Though he knew that Yang wouldn't dare try to harm him, Jaune still felt better knowing that Ruby was taking an active role in his safety. It wasn't the first time that the redheaded vampire had put herself between him and her sister, and he was almost certain that it wouldn't be the last.

Yang rolled her eyes, shaking her head softly as she turned to walk away from her protective younger sister and her ward. "Get a room, you too," said sardonically before softly cackling to herself.

"But we have a-"

"Yeah, that's the joke," she interrupted Jaune. "Now come on, I'm bored. What are we doing again?"

It was late, but not _too_ late. Not many places of business would still be open, but there would be entertainment options available in the city. Of course Jaune already knew what he was going to do. To do anything less was inviting disaster.

"I'm going to stop by my sister's place," he announced. "You two don't have to come with if family reunions aren't your thing. But if you want you're free to tag along too."

Ruby clapped her hands together and rubbed them eagerly. "Are you kidding?" she grinned with unbound excitement. "There's no way I'm missing out on a chance to meet your sister!"

"And there's no way I'm missing out on a chance to watch Ruby meet your sister," Yang added.

Jaune didn't like the sound of that. It seemed as though his fellow blonde already had some sort of plan in her mind, and was merely waiting to act it out. Suddenly inviting them along seemed like a much more dangerous idea.

"Yeah, sure," he said nervously. What could go wrong?

* * *

Ruby was practically buzzing with excitement as they stood outside the door of the nice looking apartment building in downtown Argus. She couldn't believe it. It'd been only a matter of weeks since she'd met Jaune, and now she was about to meet his _family!_ Meeting the family of your friends was an important step! She'd already introduced him to both her parents and sister, and now she would be getting to meet one of his own too!

She wondered when she'd get a chance to meet his parents next. Would they like her? Would they approve of their friendship? Would they get along with her own parents? Would they do things that old people did like play bridge together? Eat lemoncakes and bloodcakes? Drink coffee and… blood?

Ruby was taking deep, unnecessary breaths as she began to hyperventilate at the thought. This was so much pressure! Too much pressure! It was just his sister! One of seven! Even if this one didn't like him she still had six more shots to make a good impression!

"Wow, Ruby," Yang commented on her left. "Calm down."

Silver eyes stared into lilac incredulously. "Calm down?" she asked. "_Calm down?_ How can I be calm when I'm about to meet-"

The door opened to reveal a young woman just a couple inches shorter than Yang, but with that same long, beautiful golden hair. Ruby's breath was taken away instantly when she saw those deep, loving blue eyes go wide.

"Baby bro!"

In less than one of Jaune's heartbeats the girl lunged forward to wrap him in a tight embrace, squeezing her arms around his back and shaking him like a dog would their favorite toy. Or at least that's the impression Ruby got that she was _trying_ to do. Maybe before Jaune had gotten his Aura he would have succeeded, but right now it was like trying to hug a big beefy cow carcass hanging down on a meat hook.

"Aww, Ruby," she heard Yang coo from next to her. "We should be more like them."

Before Ruby had a chance to ask what that meant she felt a pair of arms wrap around her stomach from behind, and the young vampire was lifted from her feet as Yang began to sway her back and forth midair.

"Gah!" she screamed indignantly. "Let go of me, Yang!"

As Ruby was shaken around like a ragdoll, she saw that Jaune's sister had let go of him and focused her warm blue eyes on his two guests. "Oh? And who are these two beauties?"

Ruby was too concerned with the unlife being squeezed out of her to react to being called beautiful. Luckily for her Yang appeared to have had enough of her little game, and placed Ruby back down on her knee-high combat boots before taking her place back at her side.

"They're the ones I was talking to you about earlier," Jaune answered, standing to the side and in between his sister and the pair of vampires. He gestured out with his left hand. "This is my friend Ruby and her sister Yang." He then turned to do the same with his right hand. "And this is my older sister Saphron. One of many…"

Ruby's mouth went dry as she tried and failed to eek out a greeting. Stupid social anxiety!

Yang on the other hand didn't suffer from any of that, and coolly introduced herself. "What's up. Nice to meet you, Saph."

Saph? _Saph?_ How were her and Yang already on a nickname basis? _She_ was Jaune's bestie, not Yang! If anyone should be calling his sister Saph it should be _her!_

"Y-yeah, nice to meet you, Saph!" Ruby forced out. "I'm Ruby, but you could call be Rube for short."

"Rube?" Yang asked, half confused and half amused.

"Y-yes, it's a nickname." She refocused on Saphron. "Rube and Saph. They sound good together, don't they?"

"It sounds like Ruben's half," Jaune pointed out unhelpfully. "And since when did you go by Rube? I've never heard that before."

"Well you can call me that from now on!" she insisted. Never mind the fact that she'd just thought of the name on the spot, and didn't really know if she even wanted to be called it.

The tension was broken by a light, musical giggle, and Ruby saw that Saphron was laughing. That was good! Laughter was good! The ice had been successfully broken!

"I can't believe my brother brought home not one, but two pretty girls. Since when did you become such a player, Jaune?"

Ruby's eyes went wide. Did Saphron have the wrong idea? Did she think that Jaune was dating her and Yang? Where would she ever get such an idea? Especially about _Yang?_ No, no, no. Jaune and Yang were definitely not a thing. Nope. Never. Not in a million years. Did Yang have the same history with him that she did? Ruby didn't think so! Even so, they weren't dating. No matter how much mom might have wanted them to.

"We're not a ship!" Ruby blurted out hurriedly. "Only in S&S," she amended quickly.

Saphron grinned. Ruby didn't like that grin. There was something… predatory about it. And that was saying something coming from a predator.

"You found a girl your age who's not only pretty, but plays dork games too?" the blonde girl asked. She leaned in to whisper in Jaune's ear. For a normal human being it would have worked, but not for vampires who possessed enhanced hearing. "This one's a keeper, Jaune," she whispered before pulling back, giving Jaune a suggestive wink.

Ruby whined softly at the words.

Saphron smiled warmly at the trio of teens. "But enough talking, please come in!" she said, stepping aside and gesturing for them to go inside. "Make yourselves at home. It's a little late so we already ate dinner, but I can get you all something to snack on if you're feeling hungry."

"I think I've found mine already," Yang muttered suggestively, licking her lips at her fellow blonde whose back was turned to her at the moment.

Ruby jammed an elbow into her sister's ribs. "Yang!" she whispered harshly. "Not Jaune's sister!"

"What?" she asked innocently. "I wasn't talking about eating her." Yang's lips curled upward, and twin fangs flashed menacingly as she grinned. "At least not in the way you're thinking…"

Ruby blinked at her in confusion. "Huh?"

Yang shook her head amusedly, a hand coming up to ruffle Ruby's red-black hair. "Oh nothing, nothing," she sighed. She turned her attention back to Saphron. "So, Saph. Can I call you big sis? Seems like Jaune's too old to call you that sort of thing now."

Ruby sucked in an indignant, and frankly insulted breath. First Saph, and now _big sis?_ Just who did Yang think she was! How dare that little social butterfly try to out-impress Jaune's big sis! Yang didn't even like Jaune! At least not beyond seeing him as a meal!

To her credit, however, Saphron's face lit up with pure, unrestrained joy. "I. Would. _Love it!_" she gushed excitedly. "And you're right, my little brother is _too much of a man now to call me big sis,_" she cooed in baby talk, obviously meant to get under Jaune's skin. It worked, and the boy folded his arms in a huff.

"I'm seventeen now," he griped.

"Never too old to look up to your big sis!" Saphron continued to coo.

"Yeah, Ruby. Never too old to look up to your big sis!" Yang said, trying and succeeding to get under her own younger sibling's skin.

In this moment Ruby felt another sense of bonding with Jaune. They were both being bullied by their older sisters. Just another reason they were super special awesome friends!

"So, big sis. Wanna see Ruby and Jaune's wedding video?"

The Arc girl's eyes went as wide as saucers. It was good she wasn't holding anything, otherwise she surely would have dropped it. "Their… what?"

"Oh you'll see…"

Ruby whined like a sad puppy.

"I, um," Jaune said, moving away from the living room. "I'm gonna go see Adrian and Terra!" he announced.

"They're both asleep in our room," Saphron told him.

"I'm gonna be in the bathroom then okay bye!"

"Wait!" Ruby called after him as he dashed away. The closing of the door sounded like a coffin lid to Ruby, and she turned to see the pair of blondes take a seat on the couch as Yang pulled out her scroll.

"Oh… crabapples…" Ruby cursed under her breath.

"I'm… just going to get a quick drink," Saphron said as she made her way out of the living room and toward the kitchen. "Be right back. Don't start without me!"

Yang smiled after her. "I wouldn't dream of it."

The other blonde girl hurried out of the room, and Yang watched her every step of the way. Her head even tilted sideways, a look of what seemed to be admiration in those bright lilac eyes of hers.

"Mm! Man, Jaune's sister is hot," Yang growled. "Mama likes."

"Oh please, she's just you with blue eyes," Ruby pointed out. Their similarities really were quite striking.

"Mama likes," she repeated.

"Are you really that narcissistic?"

"I don't know what that means, but damn I'm hot."

Ruby was the one to roll her eyes this time, and Yang took a seat on the couch, making herself at home as she leaned back and stretched her arms across the back of it. Saphron came back into the room with a glass of water in hand and sat down next to Yang. Totally oblivious to the fact that Yang had just been checking her out.

"Okay, so where's the video?" she asked excitedly.

"Heh, right here," Yang said as she held the device between the two of them.

Ruby stood alone, wrapping her arms around her torso uncomfortably as familiar sounds began to play. One look at the pair of girls sitting on the couch showed that they were loving every second they were seeing on the small device.

The pair of enchanted adventures gave their _wedding vows_, much to Saphron's wet-eyed wonder and joy. She placed a hand over her mouth, and eyes the same color as Jaune's glistened with happiness as she watched her little brother and his best friend get 'married'.

"It's not real, just so you know," Yang pointed out as the video concluded. "They were both drunk on Halloween."

"Enchanted…" Ruby argued softly. Weakly. Defeated.

"Still." Saphron looked up at Ruby, who shrank in on herself even more under the Arc girl's intense gaze. "You gave my brother a nice little taste of the fairer sex, didn't you?"

"We didn't have sex!" Ruby shouted.

Saphron smiled. So did Yang. The two shared a knowing look and their grins grew wider. "She didn't say that you did," Yang pointed out.

"I sure didn't," Saphron agreed. "You did."

Ruby's lips opened and closed like a fish out of water. "B-b-but we didn't! You shouldn't go saying words like that when we didn't!"

"Fairer sex means women, Ruby," Yang pointed out.

While that _was _true, she still shouldn't be saying the S-word like that all willy-nilly!

"W-well- well yeah, of course," Ruby stuttered. "But all we did was kiss!"

"Make out," Saphron corrected her.

"Like a couple of horny teenagers."

"Which is what they are, aren't they?"

"They sure are, big sis."

Ruby took a step back. She couldn't believe it. She was being assaulted, tag-teamed by a pair of sharp-tongued older blonde sisters, and Jaune wasn't there to help her! This was so mean! So cruel! So utterly embarrassing!

Ruby shook her head, and if her blood was flowing she was sure her face would have been red as her signature cloak. "No! No no no no no no no!"

Laughter in stereo erupted as Ruby opened her eyes to see the two blondes sitting on the couch enjoying her plight. Ruby felt so weak and helpless right now, under attack from two women much more worldly and experienced than she was. She needed her tank. Her knightly lover in S&S to take these hits for her. Stupid Jaune! Where was he! Why wasn't he here protecting her!

When the laughter finally subsided Saphron sighed happily, turning to look at Yang with a wide grin on her face. "You would have made a great eighth sister for Jaune," she said whimsically, staring into Yang's own bright and happy eyes. "You'd fit into the Arc family with no problem."

The right arm that was still on the back of the couch crept closer toward Saphron. "Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Saphron nodded cheerfully. "With teasing skills like those you'd be a welcome addition to the family. We could always use more in the blonde army."

"An invitation to join the family?" Yang purred, her hand finally coming down to rest on Saphron's far shoulder. Ruby's eyes went wide as she watched her sister so blatantly and brazenly hit on Jaune's sister right in front of her. "Well we could always just see where things go, can't we?"

Saphron's face lit up with realization, and she laughed again, this time not out of amusement, but rather surprise. "Oh, um, I think there's been a misunderstanding," she said softly, scooting over away from Yang and her lingering fingers. "I'm um…" she started, and instead of finishing her thought, holding up her left hand to flash the gold wedding ring on her ring finger.

"I don't mind if you don't," Yang followed up, her tone dark and sultry.

"Oh. Oh, wow." Saphron swallowed, clearly uncomfortable by Yang's advances. "I- I'm flattered, truly, but… I'm _happily_ married with a kid, you see…"

"Ah, gotcha," Yang said, disappointed, but understanding as she pulled her arm back.

"Sooo, yeah." Saphron laughed again, once again out of nervousness than any actual amusement. "Let's just forget this little misunderstanding ever happened."

"If you insist." Yang grabbed Saphron by the face, placing a hand over her mouth and staring intently into those terrified blue eyes. "Forget this conversation ever happened."

She let go of Jaune's sister, who merely sat there unmoving and unspeaking for long seconds. Ruby took a hurried step forward, wondering just what had taken place between Yang and Saphron.

"Yang!" she shouted. "What did you do!"

Before her sister could offer an explanation, Saphron blinked hard and shook her head. "Sorry, I think I just spaced out there for a second. What were we talking about?"

"How I would fit right into the family, and how Ruby and Jaune are totally cute together."

Ruby stared in disbelief as Saphron seemed to have… forgotten what just took place? But… what? How?

It didn't seem to matter as Saphron once again broke out into a fit of giggles, holding her hand over her mouth as her eyes flicked over to Ruby. "Right, right. A pair of dorks made for each other." She sighed fancifully, shaking her head softly as her eyes never left Ruby's. "Such a shame that it wasn't real."

Ruby couldn't even be made uncomfortable by the teasing anymore. She had to ask Yang what had just taken place when they had a more private setting.

Her sister stood up from the couch, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom. See how Jaune's doing and kick him out. Make sure he's not up to anything naughty in there by himself," she laughed, shooting a knowing look back to Saphron. The other girl laughed heartily at the comment.

"Sounds like a plan. Meanwhile… Ruby. Come here."

Ruby felt her stomach jump up into her throat, but it was momentarily forgotten as Yang stepped up next to her and stopped before bringing her lips down to her sister's ear. "Now's your chance to impress her," she spoke softly before continuing on her path to the bathroom.

With an unnecessary deep breath, Ruby trudged over to the couch where she sat down next to Jaune's sister. Her legs were squeezed together tightly, and her fingers tapped nervously on her knees as she waited for the next humiliation to happen.

It didn't take long at all. "So," Saphron began. "How long have you been in love with my brother?"

Ruby coughed, choking on nothing but air and her own tongue. Saphron patted her back helpfully as if she actually did have something lodged in her windpipe. A shame the girl didn't know Ruby didn't need to breathe. Or actually swallow solid foods.

"W-what?" she stuttered. "What are you talking about? I don't love Jaune! I don't even like him!" She blinked, the words she'd just spoken sinking in. "Okay I like him, but not in the way you're implying!"

It was obvious Saphron didn't believe her. "Come on, Ruby. Rube? You can't be serious with that name."

Feigning insult, Ruby decided that the best defense was a good offense. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with Rube? I'm super serious! Super serial even!"

Again, Saphron called her bluff. She smiled, shaking her head softly as her gaze never left Ruby's own. "No one comes up with a nickname like that unless they're totally jealous of their older sister getting all the attention from the sister of the guy they like. Ringing any bells?"

Jealousy? Yes. But the motive? No! Absolutely not!

"Nuh uh," was all Ruby could say in her defense.

The blonde girl chuckled softly, obviously still not believing Ruby's denials. As hard as Ruby pushed, Saphron pushed back. This would be a battle that went nowhere fast, and they were quickly running out of time to wage it.

"How long have you known each other?"

Silver eyes went up to the ceiling in thought. How long _had_ it been? "Um… let's see… a few days before Beacon was… I dunno. A couple months?"

The other girl hummed. "A couple months. And from what I've heard you two have been going on adventures together. All alone."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. Well, except the time we ran into this other girl Weiss, we met her at Beacon."

"Ah, so you both flunked out of Beacon's entrance exam. That must have been tough."

It had been. They'd both nearly died there. To say it had been a traumatic and bonding experience would be an understatement.

"Yeah, but to be honest I'm glad we did. I know it was Jaune's dream and all, but he wasn't ready. And I was just there to…"

"To what, Ruby?"

Despite the fact that her answer would only make her look even worse here, Ruby didn't want to lie to Saphron. There was just something about her, maybe the fact that she was Jaune's sister, that made her seem like… more than just an acquaintance. Ruby knew she would feel bad to hide things from the girl.

"I was there because I wanted to spend time with him," she admitted softly. "Because he's my best friend and I couldn't stand the thought of him moving on and leaving me behind."

Saphron hummed again. "There's nothing wrong with that. Some people… you just want to be with forever. You know?"

This was beginning to veer into dangerous mom territory. Dangerous 'Go out and find your own human, sweetie. Then you'll finally know true happiness,' territory.

Still, Saphron wasn't wrong. She'd gone with Jaune to Beacon because she wanted to spend time with him. Risked her life. Saved his. He'd saved hers in return.

Saphron sighed, leaning back against the couch and laid her head back against the top. Ruby could see that her eyes were closed, yet a tranquil smirk rested on her lips before she spoke. "I get that you're young. Inexperienced. You don't know what's what yet. Relationships are scary. But," she said, letting the word linger in the air, and leaving Ruby on the edge of her seat. Saphron held up her left hand, for her it was the first time doing so and showing off her wedding ring. For Ruby it was the second time. It was better that Saphron didn't remember the first. "It's worth taking a risk sometimes. No risk, no reward, Ruby. And let me tell you, the reward is definitely worth the risk."

She sighed contentedly, bringing her hand back down and resting both of them on her stomach. Ruby meanwhile was left in an odd place. She didn't love Jaune. They were just friends! Okay maybe they'd kissed a few times, including making out in that fake wedding ceremony. Maybe she did suck on his neck every day. Maybe she did rely on him for sustenance. Maybe she couldn't imagine a life without the boy, and the thought of being ripped away from him made her non-beating heart ache…

But that didn't mean she loved him!

She didn't have a chance to explore the thoughts any further when Yang returned with Jaune in tow. The blonde girl smiled down on them, while Jaune looked as uncomfortable as a guy who'd just been caught by his sister making out with a girl could be.

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Yang asked the pair of girls who sat in silence.

Saphron's head came back up to peer up at the two standing teenagers. "Nope. I think we're finished here. Right, Ruby?"

Ruby's fingers were nervously rubbing her stocking-clad knees. Her tongue played with her teeth inside her closed mouth, and she merely nodded without speaking a word.

"Well this has been great and all, but I need to get to bed too," Saphron said, standing up and stretching her arms. "But you guys should definitely stop by again tomorrow afternoon. We'll do lunch on me."

"If only…" Yang muttered so softly that even Ruby could barely hear it.

Ruby frowned, remembering what she'd seen between the two blondes before. She hadn't even picked up on the implications of what Saphron had suggested until Jaune spoke up.

"Actually, um, we have some plans for tomorrow afternoon," he interjected. "Dinner would work a lot better. You know, once the sun goes down."

It dawned on Ruby that lunch would have indeed been impossible for her and Yang. Unless they possessed some nice sun-blocking parasols to shield them from the deadly rays of light. Maybe she should look into that…

"Dinner works too," Saphron happily agreed. "Does seven work for you?"

Jaune nodded. "That'll do. I think." Ruby frowned. Maybe they'd have to look into those parasols sooner rather than later…

"Great! I hate to cut tonight short, but I can't be up too late. Unfortunately _some_ of us have to work in the morning instead of travelling the world adventuring."

The freedom really was a dream come true. No wonder Jaune had wanted to be a huntsman so bad. If this was the kind of lifestyle that a professional lived, then she was all for it. Huntsmen and huntresses really were like real life S&S adventurers.

"Haha, yeah it's pretty cool," Jaune laughed softly, leading Ruby and Yang to the front door. "Thanks for having us. We'll see you tomorrow then."

"You kids have fun. But not too much fun, okay?" she added with a wink.

A wink specifically directed at Ruby.

The redhead merely squeaked before she nodded, and fled through the door as soon as Jaune had opened it.

* * *

Stepping back into the hotel room, it was freezing. Just the way Jaune liked it when he was on vacation.

Apparently he was the only one.

"Burrr!" Ruby shouted, wrapping her arms around each other as soon as she'd stepped in. "It's freezing in here!"

Much to his surprise, Yang, a vampire who'd never shown discomfort nor aversion to anything before, similarly huddled up tightly for warmth. "Damn, Jaune. How cold did you set that thing to?"

As cold as possible. There was no other way to go when you were staying in a hotel. "I dunno. Like… Sixty?"

"Sixty degrees?" Ruby wailed.

"No wonder it's so damn cold!" Yang added.

"I don't get it. What's the problem?" Jaune asked.

"The problem is that we don't have any body heat," Yang explained. "We're kind of undead, remember?"

Oh. Oh… crap. Jaune did indeed remember. It's why Ruby's skin was always so cold when it touched him. When he touched her. Come to think of it, they've done a lot of touching in the couple months they've known each other.

Normally it never really came into play. She was always just… room temperature. Whatever that temperature might be. Now, however, that room temperature, and thus her skin, was a nice, cool sixty degrees.

"Well I'm turning it off!" Ruby announced as she marched over to the humming air conditioner unit and switched it off. "It's gonna take a while for it to warm back up in here though. So that means only one thing…"

Jaune blinked as a pair of dangerous and deadly vampires set their intense gazes on him. He swallowed, and for the first time in a very long time, feared for his safety.

"Uh, girls?" he asked meekly as both stalked closer toward him. Their hands were up, fingers curled into pseudo claws as they pushed him back further and further.

Until the backs of his legs hit the mattress.

They pounced, tackling him onto the bed and crawling up on it next to him. The covers were tossed aside and Jaune was pushed underneath, a vampire taking her spot on either side of him, pressing up against his body tightly. Yang pulled the sheet and blanket back over the three of them before settling in on his right side, and Ruby on his left.

"Mmm, much better," the blonde girl said as she curled up next to him.

"So warm…" Ruby breathed happily, nestling her head into the crook of his arm.

Two ice-cold bodies wrapped arms and legs around him in a veritable Jaune sandwich, using his own body as a heat source to warm themselves in a cold room. It was his own fault, in retrospect. Yet as he felt two beautiful young women pressing up tightly against him, fault didn't exactly seem like the appropriate word.

"Careful now, Jaune," Yang whispered close to his ear. "Don't let all that nice warm blood go to the wrong place."

Jaune blinked. Of course, he hadn't been thinking about that sort of thing until Yang had mentioned it. But now that she had…

The silky-smooth feel of their skin. The pleasant aroma of scented shampoo. The soft hands which clung to him as if their lives depended on it… and in a way, it was true. Not just for nourishment, but for warmth now as well.

"Where else would his yummy blood be but his neck?" Ruby asked innocently.

_Not in my pants. Not in my pants. Not in my pants…_ his mind thought desperately as his problem grew.

"In his pants."

_Damn it, Yang!_

"It's only natural," she continued. "Two smoking-hot ladies in the same bed as him. Huddling together for warmth like we're trying to survive in the Atlesian tundra. A guy will think certain thoughts. His body will react in certain ways…"

_And you're! Not! Helping!_

Jaune's heart was thumping rapidly, and as Yang continued to tease and goad at him, Ruby remained silent. Her only response toward all of this was to…

Clutch onto him tighter. The arm snaked around his chest drew herself into him impossibly closer, while her fingers squeezed down into the flesh they'd found purchase on.

A low, throaty chuckle sounded in the back of Yang's throat as Ruby's hand drove a wedge between the blonde girl and Jaune. Her head came to rest on his chest, where he was certain that his rapid heartbeat sounded like the banging of drums in the redhead's ear.

It wasn't time to sleep, as it was the middle of the night, but as the trio of teens laid there, Jaune wanted nothing more than to fall asleep with the two of them curled around him. He wondered how long it would take for them and the room to warm up.

A part of him hoped it would be a very, _very_ long time.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It's always nice to get back to this story. Wholesome, innocent Lancaster is one of my favorite things. Throw a mischievous Yang and Saphron into the mix? We have a recipe for the best kind of disaster.

You saw it last chapter even if you didn't realize it, and it was a lot more blatant in this one. Vampire compulsion. Making a mortal do what they desire with a transfixing gaze. Yang knows how to use this power. Ruby doesn't, at least not intentionally. One has to wonder why Summer and Tai never bothered to teach a bratty chuuni vamp how to do such a thing?

While I have you here, I did another crack fic rare pair! So if you're interested in the first ever Jaune x Elm smut story, go and check out **Death by Snu Snu**. If you're so inclined.

As always, thanks for reading. I hope you all enjoyed it.


	12. Chapter 12

_Suck suck. Suck suck._

Being Ruby's food source was nothing new. As dirty as it sounded, Jaune had grown used to waking up next to a cute teenage girl and having her suck on him first thing in the morning. Or rather, first thing in the evening. A few months ago, his past self would have been both horrified and thrilled at the idea, at least once he had gotten used to the idea of vampires existing. Now as he laid in the rather intimate heart-shaped bed with a cute redheaded vampire in her pajamas next to him, Jaune could only think about how this was normal.

Well, usually there wasn't an audience. Usually his friend's sister wasn't there watching her suck him off.

Jaune winced internally. _Bad word choice!_ his mind chided. He'd better not do anymore thinking. The fact that Ruby was lying so close to him in her adorable little Beowolf-headed tank top and white and red heart pajama bottoms was already threatening to do things to him he didn't need done. Especially not with Yang so close by.

Blue eyes were closed as he laid back against the pillow, tilting his head off to his right side as Ruby did her work. As it turned out vampires had their preferences just as humans did. Where Jaune was right-handed, Ruby was a right-sided eater. She always tilted her head to the right to get the left side of his neck. Thanks to Aura he was able to heal up the fang holes in no time, leaving a fresh patch of flesh for her to get each time she needed to feed. A couple times a day wasn't too bad for the boy. After all, everyone needed to eat! He was more than happy to help out his good friend.

After a couple minutes of sucking Ruby released her hold on his skin, coming away with bloody lips and fangs, her tongue darting out to lick up the excess liquid. She let out a satisfied gasp as she continued to lick her chops like a dog might after just devouring a nice bloody steak. In a way that's what Jaune was. A big, meaty, bloody steak.

"Mmm, yummy," she hummed happily before a rumbling belch came next. Silver eyes widened and a hand came to cover her mouth in embarrassment. "Whoops."

"Ruby, excuse yourself," Yang chided from her seat at the hotel room table.

The younger sister rolled over and off the bed to stand up. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "It's just so good! Jaune has the best blood I've ever tasted!"

Jaune idly wondered just how many people's blood she'd tasted before. When they had first met, Ruby told him how she couldn't feed for herself and so relied on others, specifically Yang, to give blood to her. The fact that his blood was the best, most likely due to it being fresh from the veins, made him confusingly happy.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the blonde girl waved dismissively. "We should probably start getting ready if we want to get to Saphron's place on time."

Ruby stretched her arms out over her head, moaning softly and squeezing her eyes shut as joints emitted satisfying pops. Evening was their morning, and it hadn't been too long ago that the trio had awoken. All of them were still dressed in their sleeping clothes, and would need to get changed one by one in the room's bathroom lest any personal and private bits be exposed. Jaune didn't know how long it took to put on a corset like Ruby wore, but it had to be a time-consuming process.

"I call the bathroom first!" Ruby shouted as she rushed across the suite with blazing speed, gathering up a bundle of clothing before storming into the bathroom.

Yang stood from her seat, scoffing lightly as she watched the door slam shut. "Tch. Does she know how much time I need to look this good?" she asked.

Jaune didn't know if she was speaking rhetorically or directly to him. Nonetheless, he chose to answer. "An hour?"

The blonde vampire hummed. "Well either way, I've got some time to kill before my own shower. And that means…" she trailed off, turning to regard Jaune with hungry eyes.

Sitting up on the mattress now with his legs on the floor, Jaune felt a shiver run down his spine. "Y-yeah…?"

A sly grin curled up on Yang's lips as she slowly began to walk in his direction. Lilac eyes narrowed on him, and Jaune suddenly felt his heart begin to thump in his chest and his palms clam up. "I've heard you have the best blood my sister's ever tasted," she said, sashaying toward him. "Mmm, yummy," she echoed her sister's earlier sentiment.

Yang neared him, and Jaune had a terrible idea of what she had in mind for the two of them. "I- I don't know, I've never drank it," he answered honestly. He chuckled nervously, glancing over to where the refrigerator stored a few pints of precious red life fluid. "Didn't you bring some blood packs along to eat?"

"I did," she smirked, coming to stand before and above him. Yang's hands were on her hips, that knowing smile ever-present on her lips as she stared down at him. "But can you blame a girl for wanting something fresh every now and then? Fresh produce is so much better than the frozen bagged stuff. Right, Jaune?"

She had a point. And he _was_ a living, willing blood bag for Ruby after all… still, there was just something about Yang that didn't sit right with him. Not that she was bad or malicious, but she just… oozed sex appeal. Jaune wasn't sure if there would be enough blood above the belt to feed her if she decided she wanted to give him a taste.

"I, um, well…" he stuttered and struggled to say.

"You do it for Ruby," Yang pouted, her smile drooping and her lower lip protruding. Somehow those energetic and dangerous purple eyes of Yang had become… soft. Sad. Yearning. "You could do the same for her dear old big sister, can't you?"

Jaune chewed on his own lower lip nervously. When she put it like that it wasn't so bad, was it?

Yang was after all Ruby's sister. Despite all her joking and teasing, she'd never do anything to harm him. She would most certainly never kill him. It would not only devastate Ruby, but it would devastate their mother as well. Deep down Jaune knew he could trust her. With how close he and Ruby had become in these past few months they were practically family. Yang was Ruby's family. So that made it okay, right?

"Well… okay," he relented. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you drink from me."

"Oh trust me," Yang purred, placing her hands on his shoulders. "It won't hurt at all. I'm very _experienced._"

Jaune didn't know what hit him when Yang climbed atop his lap, straddling his hips with her legs, all the while keeping her hold on his shoulders in order to maintain balance. There was suddenly a very attractive, very busty, and very scantily clad blonde girl sitting on Jaune's crotch, and as her arms coiled around his back it was doing all of the wrong things to his body.

Wearing her orange sleeping tank top and a pair of very short and very tight black shorts, Yang must have known exactly what she was doing to the boy as she grinned down at him. "Save some of that blood for me, Jaune."

His heart was thumping inside his ribcage, and Jaune couldn't meet her gaze as he turned his head to the side. "S-sorry," he murmured softly. "Here."

He felt Yang's hands on the sides of his head as she turned it. Her gaze found him again as she shook her head. "Mm-mm," she disagreed. "Other side. I'm not getting my sister's sloppy seconds."

So Yang wanted the right side of his neck. Jaune swallowed as he nodded before turning his head the other way to present his untouched skin to the girl. He heard Yang take a deep and unnecessary breath of excitement before her face lowered toward his neck. Before her fangs found his flesh.

Jaune gasped as they sunk in, and Yang immediately began to drink. The muscles of her legs contracted, squeezing around his thighs as she fed. One of her arms wrapped around his back where it held him firmly against her chest. The other found the back of his head, fingers gently stroking and brushing through his thick blond locks.

Loathe as he was to admit it, it felt… nice. Yang had been right. There was no pain here. No discomfort. Only a beautiful girl sitting on his lap while her mouth worked at his neck.

He idly wondered why Ruby never fed from him like this. Ruby, in her cute black skirt. Her adorable pouting fangs. Straddling him. Running a hand through his hair. Moaning softly into his neck…

The very real and vocal moan that came from Yang's own throat tore him from his thoughts, and Jaune's eyes opened to bring him back to reality. The fingers on his back dug through his shirt into his skin, while those in his hair continued to softly stroke through his hair as Yang fed from him.

"Um, Yang?" he breathed softly, struggling to keep his voice steady as the blood was drained from his veins. "Can you be a little less… loud while you do that?"

The vampire stopped, and she pulled back. Mischief danced in those beautiful lilac orbs. "What, is it doing something for you?" she asked amusedly. Her eyes darted down for a second before coming back up. Her bloody grin widened. "Yeah, it sure is…"

"That's not fair," he whispered. "Come on…"

Yang hummed, knowing full well what she was doing to him. She had to have chosen this position intentionally solely to get that kind of reaction from him. There was no way she couldn't. Not with a body like hers. "Just relax, okay? I'm almost done."

Jaune barely had time to get a nod off before Yang came back down, her long fangs finding his skin once again as she began to suck in earnest. To her credit, at least she was a little less handsy this time. She used them only to maintain her position on him rather than touch and feel him.

After Ruby's own feeding, and now with how much Yang was taking from him, Jaune was beginning to feel lightheaded. Unable to maintain his sitting position, he fell backwards onto the bed, Yang coming down with him. With thighs pressing firmly around his waist, Yang all but pinned him down to the mattress as she drank and drank. Jaune knew when he had reached his limit, and began to tap her shoulder feverishly in order to get her to relent.

She stopped in an instant, removing her mouth from his neck with a satisfied gasp of her own. Yang moaned dreamily, her tongue coming out to lick her lips clean. "Wow, Ruby was right. You're _delicious_," she whispered huskily. "Was it good for you too?"

Jaune was sure that was supposed to be suggestive even in his weakened state. Before he could respond, however, a horrified voice cut through the air and destroyed the tension which had been created by the pair of blondes.

"What is this!" Ruby shouted.

Standing in the bathroom doorway, clad in her familiar red and black outfit, Ruby pointed accusingly at the pair even as Yang remained on top of Jaune in bed. Her eyes were wide, her mouth was agape, and an expression of pure shock and horror was etched on her normally cheerful face.

Yang smacked her lips, turning her head to regard the girl who'd just emerged from the bathroom. "Oh hey there, Ruby," she greeted innocently. Something told Jaune that Ruby wasn't going to buy what her sister was selling.

Underneath the gorgeous blonde bombshell, what could he possibly say to make all of this seem innocent? In the end all he could do was force out an awkward hum rather than a word. "Um…"

Then Ruby did something he wouldn't have expected. Something he'd never seen her do before.

She ran.

Rushing toward the door she pulled it open, not even taking the time to slam it shut as the hotel room door began to slowly close on its own by design. Jaune couldn't explain why, but he suddenly felt a very horrible and uncomfortable sensation in the pit of his stomach.

His torso squirmed gently to try to dislodge Yang. Or at the very least, give her the hint that he wanted her off of him.

Yang clambered off, rolling over to the side to sit on her backside. A loud sigh slipped through her lips as she crossed her legs atop the mattress. "Well that was a thing."

Jaune sat up as well, his fingers intertwining in his lap as he stared down at them. He didn't really know what to say right now, so he said the only thing that came to mind. "She's upset."

The girl beside him hummed and nodded. "Yup. She was."

He wanted to shoot Yang a death glare and tell her that it was all her fault. However, right now assigning blame seemed secondary, even trivial compared to making sure that Ruby was okay.

Even so, he needed to get it off his chest. Just as he'd needed to get her off it. "You didn't need to be so…" he trailed off, searching for the right word to describe how Yang had fed from him.

"Sexual?" she finished for him.

He blinked. While that wasn't the first word he would have gone with, or even the tenth one, it was still appropriate. "Yeah. That."

Yang hummed a short laugh before falling backwards onto the bed, lacing her fingers behind her head as a makeshift pillow. Jaune glanced over to see her eyes closed and lips curled into a soft smile. "I didn't. But I was."

He wanted to ask her why she did it, or how it made things better for them. If anything it made things far worse seeing how Ruby had caught them. How could she be so nonchalant about this? Ruby was clearly upset by what had just taken place, and here Yang was acting like it was no big deal. Almost proud of herself, in fact. Did she really just need him to satisfy some sort of itch she had? Was it all some sort of power game to make him aroused by her?

"Jaune."

The sound of his name broke the silence which had settled over them. Yang still hadn't opened her eyes while she laid on their bed.

"Yeah?"

"The bond between a vampire and their first willing human is special," she told him. "At the end of the day we're predators. Hunters. We need to feed from other living beings in order to survive. Most of the time they aren't too willing to give up their blood for us, so we have to take it by force."

That seemed appropriate. After all, who would be _willing_ to give up the blood which gave them life to someone else? Who would allow themselves to be put in a position where one wrong move, or one overambitious or uncaring vampire could kill them?

"We could kill most humans and faunus with no effort if we wanted to. So to find someone who trusts us enough to be our food is a rare and special thing."

Jaune remembered the first time Ruby had fed from him. She'd taken so much of his blood that he passed out. Most other normal and rational people wouldn't have ever given her a second chance. Yet Jaune had. Day after day, week after week, Jaune gave Ruby his neck for her to take his precious life fluid from. Each time could have been his last. One mistake, one pint too many, could have spelled his end.

"I didn't know," he answered honestly. "But I guess it makes sense."

"Mmhmm," Yang hummed in agreement. "Neither did Ruby." The words hung in the air for a few seconds before she continued. "Until now."

He nodded in understanding. Yes, it did indeed make perfect sense. Even if Ruby wasn't aware of it, the bond they shared as vampire and human was a special one. One born of trust and care. Not only was he the first person she'd ever drank from, but he was a well which she could keep going back to in order to sustain herself. It wasn't just their friendship which had grown over the months. It was the deep and trusting relationship they shared in which he would give her what she needed in order to survive. Of course that would be special.

"What about you?" he wondered. "Have you found that… special somebody yet?"

Yang's chest shook as she chuckled softly. All the while her eyes remained closed as she laid there. "Nope. I'm not exactly looking to be tied down to one person quite yet. There's a whole big world out there and I need to enjoy it to its fullest."

That made two of them. Or rather, three. Jaune and Ruby were out enjoying the world as well. Adventuring wherever their whimsy took them. Just a couple of best friends on the road together with nothing and no one but each other. Except of course when a third decided to tag along, like Weiss or the blonde girl lying next to him. Even then it usually wasn't for very long. As far as Jaune was concerned, this was his and Ruby's exclusive adventure together.

"So what are you going to do now?" she asked, finally opening her lilac eyes to stare into Jaune's blue ones.

Her amused smile had faded, and right now there was only a big sister lying next to him. A big sister who was, even if she didn't show it, concerned about her little one.

"What do you think I should do?" he asked in turn. "You're the expert on vampires after all. And, well, Ruby."

Yang's head tilted with acknowledgement and agreement. He supposed that a desire to be praised simply ran in the family. Ruby after all loved to brag about how she was an expert on all things supernatural.

"Go after her," she instructed him. "Find her and clear the air."

Easier said than done. How could he ever face Ruby after he'd hurt her this much? "Are you sure she'll want to talk to me? She probably hates me right now after what we did. She might even hate you too."

To Jaune's surprise, Yang merely laughed again. "She doesn't understand what's going on in her head right now. Or her heart," she added with a light tapping of her fist on her chest. "She'll talk to you. Trust me, you're special to her. Even if she's a brat, she cares about you. She loves you."

The last part sent a jolt of electricity through Jaune's body. Love. Why had Yang gone and used the L word like that? Didn't she know the connotations that came with such a word?

Swinging his legs off the bed, Jaune stood up, willing his Aura to heal the twin bite marks which marred either side of his neck. "I mean, right. I love her as a friend too," he hurriedly agreed.

When he received no reply from Yang, he turned around to see that she had flipped over onto her side, propping her head up from the bed with a hand. She smiled a knowing, mischievous grin at him.

"As a friend," she agreed.

The boy nodded and turned back around. Rushing to the door, he slipped his shoes on and pulled it open. There wasn't a moment to lose. If he'd hurt his best friend, even unknowingly, he had to make it up to her. He had to mend his relationship with the girl who meant the world to him.

Arriving on the lobby floor of the hotel, all it took was a quick stop at the front desk to see if a girl dressed up like an anime character had passed through. The woman pointed him in the direction of the mini arcade which the hotel had, and Jaune knew in an instant that was where he would find his dorky best friend.

* * *

The sounds of action filled her ears. The screams of men and women, such pleasures she hadn't heard in months, gave her a feeling of nostalgia and glee.

Ruby snarled as they reminded her of last time she'd heard such sounds. The last place she'd heard them. A time not so long ago when she'd met Jaune. Jaune…

_Jaune!_

One hand was in control of the short, stubby joystick, while the other mashed a trio of colored buttons on the machine as Ruby annihilated the opponent on the screen before her. It was hard to believe that the hotel would also be home to a mini arcade, but Ruby for one was happy it was here. It made sense, she supposed. It was a small haven of escapism where children could go to waste time and money while on vacation with their families. Not everyone, and especially not children, would be thrilled with the prospect of sightseeing in the city of Argus or going shopping along the busy main streets. Sometimes you needed a little bit of R and R, and you couldn't spell arcade without one of those R's!

Ruby snarled as she finished the Soaring Ninja who opposed her, unleashing her special execution attack to behead the noble shinobi warrior who had dared stand in her path. It was a wonder that this arcade housed a number of retro gaming machines. Relics from a simpler time when arcades were still fixtures of teenage social lives. Ruby was glad to have it. To play Primal Combat for the first time since her first night with Jaune. Jaune…

_Jaune!_

The image of him lying in bed underneath Yang kept invading her mind. Her beautiful older sister straddling his lap. Her hands pressed down on his chest. Full red lips stained with the warm, delicious blood of her bestie… it was enough to make anyone angry. Especially Ruby herself! Why! How! Jaune had been her _first_ human, and he'd gone and cheated on her with her own sister of all vampires? What had he been thinking giving himself up to her sister like that? Didn't he know that he… that he was… was…

Hers?

The next opponent appeared on screen, and Ruby wasted no time in beating the ever-loving crap out of the thirty-two bit sprite. Signature attacks. Combo moves. No one would be safe from her expertise in this game that no one played anymore! No one expect for herself and her best friend. Her best friend who had so willingly given his blood to another…

Had her own blood flowed through her body, Ruby's face would have been red with rage. As it were, all she could do was take her frustrations out on her digital and artificial intelligence foes. Woe be upon any kid or teenager who dared step into the mini arcade and challenge her, for Ruby Bloodrose would show them no mercy! In fact, if anyone, and she meant _anyone_ stepped foot into this video game sanctuary, she would give them not just a piece of her mind, but a piece of her fangs!

"Ruby."

The vampire's body jumped, and she had to bite down on her tongue in order to prevent the frightened _eep!_ from escaping her lips. It was an all too familiar voice which made her forget all about the game she was playing.

She turned around to see a tall, blond, and remorseful-looking boy standing in the entrance to the arcade room. His right hand reached over to hold onto his left arm, which dangled pathetically down next to his side.

Ruby turned back around in a hurry, grabbing hold of the joystick again and resuming her match against the computer opponent. "Hello, Jaune," she greeted coldly.

Long seconds of silence hung over them, and Ruby wanted desperately to turn around to see what the boy was doing. Only the sounds of her button mashing were heard until he spoke again.

"Mind if I come in?"

Her jaw moved left and right, and the vampire mulled over what she should say in response to that. "It's a free kingdom," she replied bluntly.

Dull footsteps brought him closer to her until he stood side by side at the Primal Combat machine. Slipping a lien note into it, Jaune hit the button which would end Ruby's current match and pit the two against one another. "Mind if I play?"

The character selection screen popped up, and the two went about choosing their favorite fighters. "Go for it."

Jaune went to his go-to character, the greatsword-wielding Knight. Honorable. Chivalrous. The embodiment of virtue. Unlike _him,_ lying in bed getting his neck sucked on by her older, prettier, blonder bombshell of a biggy-titty sister!

Ruby stayed with her own favorite, the scythe-using Reaper. The embodiment of death itself. Jaune was lucky this was just a game, because right now Ruby was feeling particularly scythey when it came to the boy. She'd just have to show him a thing or two in the pixilated world of Primal Combat.

The round began, and Ruby rushed into battle, smashing buttons on the arcade machine as the Reaper tore into Jaune's Knight. Blow after blow landed, and unlike any matched they'd ever had previously, Ruby was mopping the floor with him. He was barely even blocking her attacks, much less striking out with any of his own. In only seconds round one ended, and victory went to the vampire girl.

As soon as the second round began and the same thing happened, Ruby's suspicions were roused. A sideways glance over to the boy showed him lazily tapping buttons and moving his joystick. Not at all the way Jaune normally played. Normally he put up a better fight than this. He even beat her. Victory over him wasn't satisfying when it was over a lethargic and uninspired opponent. They weren't even trash-talking each other.

When she defeated him yet again, Ruby finally decided to speak. "Why aren't you trying?"

She stared ahead at the victory screen. Jaune did the same as he replied. "It's better to have you hurt me up in the game than in real life."

The answer was one she hadn't been expecting. Ruby's mouth opened, and his words were enough to finally get her to look over at him. Jaune still couldn't meet her gaze. "I would never hurt you!" she gasped. Ruby grabbed his arm and twisted him around, forcing him to look in her direction. "Jaune, you know I'd never hurt you, right?"

Anger had been flushed from her mind, replaced with the horror, and even the sadness that Jaune thought that she would ever harm him. Their relationship was about far more than just being friends, after all. It was built on a foundation of mutual trust. Whenever there was a risk of being exposed to daylight, Ruby knew that Jaune would be there to protect her. Whenever Ruby fed from Jaune's veins, he knew that she would never take more than what was necessary. Never enough to put him in danger of injury or death.

His sad blue eyes still couldn't look into her liquid-silver ones. Instead he just stared at the floor. "I know. But I deserve it."

Guilt suddenly flowed through Ruby's body as freely as blood did Jaune's. He felt awful. That much was clear. Guilty and ashamed that he'd been caught… canoodling with her older sister. Yet, why should he? It wasn't like he and Ruby were an item. They were just friends! Sure, friends who slept together. Platonically! But they weren't in a relationship. Jaune was free to be with whoever he wanted. He could kiss whoever he wanted. Touch anyone he wanted. Even if… even if that person was her sister…

A soft, high-pitched whine escaped her lips as the sight of Yang sitting on Jaune's lap entered her mind. Yes… if Jaune had a thing for Yang, and honestly who wouldn't, them she should be supportive of their newfound relationship.

"You don't," she insisted. This time it was Ruby's eyes that darted down to the floor. "If you and Yang, if you two want to be a thing…"

In her periphery she saw Jaune's head snap up. "Whoa, whoa, hold on," he said. "It's not like that. Not at all. I was just giving her my blood. That's all."

Ruby lifted her own head, and for the first time since coming together in the arcade, she looked into his deep blue eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah," he smiled weakly. It made Ruby's non-beating heart flutter. "I mean, she's your sister. She's a vampire just like you and she has to eat. I didn't think it would be a big deal if I let her get some of my blood too. I thought… well, I thought I was just doing her a favor. Kind of like when we first met."

With an explanation like that, Ruby felt it _did_ make a little bit of sense. Of course Yang had to eat. And of course fresh blood straight from the source was better than stuff from a blood bag.

The redhead wrapped her arms around her torso, nervously rubbing each opposite arm as she asked the all-important question on her mind. "So there's… nothing going on with you and Yang?"

"Nothing at all," he confirmed.

"Even though she was… sitting on you?"

Jaune winced, sucking in a sharp breath through clenched teeth. "Believe me, that surprised me just as much as you. I think she did that just to get me nervous or something."

Ruby nodded. In a way it made sense. If Jaune was nervous then his heart would beat faster. That would mean his blood would pump quicker. She idly wondered if that was some secret technique Yang had discovered over the years. Did it make the blood taste better? Her tongue darted from her mouth, licking her lips unconsciously at the thought of her next meal with her best friend.

"But she told me something afterward," he continued. "That… well, a vampire's first willing human is special." He smiled embarrassedly, glancing down again. "That I'm special since I was your first."

The word choice made Ruby's eyes widen. Never mind the fact that she'd used the same phrasing in her own mind prior to this conversation. "Well, um, you have to understand, Jaune…" she hurriedly stated, not having a follow-up to her statement. The truth was that he had nailed it. Yang had nailed it. Jaune _was_ special to her. In more ways than just their friendship.

"Yeah, I think I get it," he added, thankfully not requiring her to think up an explanation on the fly. "But there's something important you should know."

"What's that?"

"Well, when I was doing it was Yang… I was thinking about you."

Ruby sucked in an unneeded breath. Had her blood been flowing she was certain that her face would have gone red with embarrassment. What a dummy! What an absolutely dummy! Who did he think he was saying such embarrassing things! Thinking about her… while Yang was straddling his lap and sucking his neck. Did he want her to just die from humiliation?

Yet the words she blurted out betrayed her true thoughts on the confession. "R-really? No lies?"

"No lies," he confirmed. He smiled down on her, and Ruby felt her knees growing weak as her big, tall, strong, tasty, kind, caring, gentle… Ruby was growing dizzy as the list of adjectives she was rattling off in her head made her head swim. Was it normal to get lost in a guy's eyes like this? "What I did for Yang was a favor. But… you're the only vampire I'd ever _want_ to give my blood to."

"Oh… Jaune…" she squeaked, pulling her red hood over her head and hiding her face from the boy.

Had she been alive her blood would be coursing through her veins. Her heart would have been thumping in her chest. Just like Jaune's was while Yang was atop him. How dare he. How dare he make her feel this way. Well two could play at that game! If Jaune wanted to make her feel feelings and all that junk she would just have to return the favor!

Tonight… or… this morning! Whatever it was! When she fed on Jaune before bed, she was going to sit on his lap just like Yang did! She was gonna sit on him, and wrap her arms around his back, and brush his thick, golden locks, and wrap her lips around his neck, and…

"You okay there?"

Ruby shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she peered back up at the boy. "Huh?"

"Well… uh, you just kinda went quiet for like half a minute," he explained. "And you had this big dumb grin on your face. I thought you had like, a stroke or something."

Ruby blinked, casting the thoughts of feeding from Jaune from her mind once and for all. "Vampires can't have strokes!" she squawked.

"Oh. Right. Because of the whole no blood flow thing."

She nodded furiously. "That's right! We don't have strokes! Or heart attacks! And we don't blush when stupid people say stupid embarrassing things! And don't get me started on the whole human thing about heartache and feelings and stuff happening in your chest when you like a guy, because vampires don't do any of that!"

The words hung in the air, and for long seconds the only sounds in the room were from the unused arcade machines running their idle promotional gameplay waiting for someone to insert lien. Ruby's hands were squeezed into fists as she stared up into Jaune's eyes. Jaune on the other hand appeared surprised and confused by her outburst.

"Who said anything about feelings?"

The question immediately shifted Ruby from offense to defense. "W-what?" she asked uneasily. "Not me!"

"But you-"

"I said not me!"

That shut Jaune up quickly, who closed his stupid manly jaw and learned his proper place! It was clear that after unlocking his Aura that he no longer feared his vampire companion the way any human should. Not that she would ever harm him or anything like that, but a certain amount of respect and fear was necessary. Jaune shouldn't feel like he could get one over on her just because he had a stupid force field around his body. Ruby needed to get back to being on top. Oh and she would be. Just wait until before bedtime, and she would be on top alright!

B-but not like that!

Her friend reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, the silence which had settled over them after her outburst broken when he spoke once more. "So… we should probably get ready to go to my sister's place," he suggested.

Ruby pulled out her scroll and checked the time. "Yeah, we should," she agreed. She didn't want to be late. She needed to make a good impression on Jaune's sister. But not because the girl had suggested she loved him or anything! Who did that anyway? Vampire and human relationships? Who was she? Her mom?

Going over to the arcade room door, Jaune pulled it open, and held it as he gestured for Ruby to leave first. She gave the door and his hand a brief glance before stepping out, a soft smile slipping onto her face as he came out behind her.

_There's the knight…_ she thought idly, the smile slowly creeping up into a grin as they returned to their hotel room.

* * *

When they arrived, Jaune opened up the door to see Yang fully dressed and… packing?

"Oh good, you're back," she said cheerfully, zipping up her backpack and throwing it over one of her shoulders by the strap. "So did you two make up?"

Jaune cast a glance at Ruby, who seemed a little bit shy as she sucked her lips inward. It looked like he would have to do the talking. For now at least.

"Yeah," he confirmed. He pointed to the bag on her back. "What's with that? Are you leaving?"

"Just the room," she clarified. "I figured it was about time I got my own room, you know?"

That little bit of info was enough to make Ruby speak. "Your own room?"

"Mmhmm. I mean, this is a vacation for me too, you know? And I thought, who wants to hang out with Dork and Dorkier the whole time?"

So Yang was going to leave them alone in a honeymoon suite. With a hot tub. A heart-shaped bed. Just the two of them. Maybe she just felt guilty after the rift she'd created between him and her sister. Still, there were certain implications about leaving a guy and a girl alone in a hotel room and sharing a bed together…

"Wait, which one of us is Dorkier?" Ruby asked. Because of course she would.

"I think I'll let you two figure that out," the blonde said as she approached, squeezing between the two teens to stand in the middle of them. "Who knows what you might learn later on this morning, right?"

Yang shot him a suggestive wink, and she smiled at him as she pushed past to the door. Pulling it open, she turned around to once again stare at her sister and her friend. "It's not like I'll be gone or anything, I'm just getting my own room for the rest of the vacation. A girl needs her privacy after all. But don't be surprised if I show up again to use the hot tub, okay?"

She didn't wait for an answer before exiting, the door shutting behind her. Ruby and Jaune were left on their own again, just as they'd been for much of their adventures. The closing and clicking of the door was like the ominous sound of a nail being hammered down into a coffin.

Why did it seem like Yang wanted him and Ruby to be alone? And to… learn things?

"So…" Ruby said, breaking the silence once more.

"So…" he echoed. Leave it to Yang to make things awkward again and then just ditch them to deal with the aftermath.

"You should go take a shower," Ruby said. An instant later her eyes shot wide open. "Not that I'm saying you stink or anything. Or that I want you to get naked. It's just, um, we gotta go to your sister's place right? And I already showered. So it's your turn now!"

That made sense. Perfect and total sense. "Right. Yeah. Good idea. Shower and all that good stuff."

The vampire nodded. "Yes. Now… hurry up. We don't wanna be late. I'll just be, um, here. Outside. On the bed. Because it's a place to sit. Yeah."

"Yeah. It, um, sure is. I'll just be in here now. Haha, no peeking or anything!" he joked.

Ruby added her own nervous laughter to the statement. "Yep! Definitely no peeking. Not like we've ever done anything like that before with each other."

"Nope, definitely not," Jaune agreed. "Because we're friends."

"Best friends."

"Best buds."

"The best."

Jaune walked backwards toward the bathroom. "So yeah, I'll just be in here now. Won't take long."

"Yeah, you'd better not!" she quipped. "Because we have places to be. Better not… make me go in there and drag you out!"

The boy laughed again. "Yup! Can't have that! So, um, see you soon!"

"But not soon enough!" she chuckled back. "I mean because we don't want to be late!"

"Yup!"

"Yup!"

The door finally shut when Jaune was inside, and as he looked into the bathroom mirror, saw that a stupid grin was still plastered onto his face.

As he began stripping down to take a shower, he felt his heart raging inside his chest. What was this all about? Why did he seem so nervous? Was it the lingering effects from what Yang did to him? His awkward conversation with Ruby back in the arcade? Or maybe…

The fact that he was going to be alone later in the morning with the girl he'd thought about while he'd been getting felt up by said girl's older sister?

Jaune took a deep breath and stepped into a very cold shower.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Big sisters know best. Whether it's Saphron or Yang, they both know what's up with their pair of dorks.

As much as I enjoy the pure sex appeal that Yang just oozes, rest assured that this is strictly a Lancaster story. Yang just did what she did to give them a push in the right direction in her own self-indulgent way. After all, she's an immortal, hedonistic, decadent vampire. Might as well have some fun while doing the right thing.

So, yeah! Major Lancaster development here. Expect something a little bit spicy next chapter. And I'm not just talking about Saphron's cooking. Should be fun. Hopefully I'm able to get to it soon. There's a certain Grimm Girl story which is in desperate need of an update, but I just haven't felt like writing it lately.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading.


End file.
